During the summer months, travel costs to China skyrocket, blowing our travel budget to bits.
Pray for May.
At this point in our "paper pregnancy", May would be the earliest we would travel. It is so hard to bear even missing one more day of our children's lives. Kalli just turned two, and Oliver turns four next week. If the absolute best scenario for our paperwork being processed gets us to China in May at the soonest, then that is what we are praying for.
Pray for May.
I stated at the very beginning this blog had a couple purposes. Encouraging others to adopt is primary, but we also hoped to educate those unfamiliar with the adoption process. We wanted to give insight and updates on this bumpy road.
This is our reality right now - we have been really struggling with the wait for several weeks. Once all our paperwork was notarized and authenticated and mailed to China, the average wait is 60 to 70 days for something called the "Letter of Seeking Confirmation" or LOA. We are at Day 93. We do not appreciate the fact that we are above average. Ha/ha That was a joke. :)
I'm not sure why it has gotten so difficult as of late; for whatever reason, it has. Sunday we had a guest preacher. He asked the congregation what kind of legacy we were leaving for our children: a legacy of worry or a legacy of trusting God. He might as well have been pointing his finger directly at me and said my name before the question. Guillllltttttyy.
I made a decision - try to stop all this fretting and email stalking (looking for news from our caseworker). Show my children already at home that I do trust God. When my human nature absolutely cannot be suppressed and anxieties and fears kick in, I want them to see me turning to God. Down on my knees. Accepting that He is in control. I want them to see me praising Him in those times when I'm weak, when things don't seem easy or fair.
That is where we are right now in this sometimes arduous experience. We're leaning on him, praying for May! Will you pray with us? :)
Friday, February 28, 2014
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Ummmm . . . WOW! That was Fast and Fantastical!
Did you read "Help Us Find Her Family"? If not, that is totally okay, because as it turns out, there was only ONE family that needed to read it. Wow! I don't even know where to start to share the amazing events that have transpired. Maybe you could tell by the title, but we're simply in shock by God's work.
Here's the 4-1-1: beautiful little four-year-old girl, Violet, whom we sought to adopt at the same time as Oliver. She was listed with a different adoption agency, and they would not share with our agency.
Toddlers. They haven't learned how to share.
Not sharing meant we could not bring Violet home. :(
Heartbreak. Temper tantrum. And then peace. We know who is in control, and He showed us His plan in the form of our precious little Kalli. Yet our hearts still longed to find the family that was meant to bring Violet home.
I typed out the post (linked above) telling about this amazing child. She had a congenital heart condition that was surgically corrected, has low vision, and is deaf. It was the beginning of our advocating for her. Little did we know, it was also the end!!
Unbeknownst to us, God had been planting tiny seeds in the lives of another family. Adoption had been something they had considered about a decade before, born out of their compassion for the millions of children forgotten and alone. But back then, it wasn't His timing. As of late, He had been moving them in great ways. When I say moving them, I mean touching and moving their very souls. Stirring something deep within them that went beyond a concern for the fatherless. This family was already actively and whole-heartedly making a difference in the lives of orphans as they prayerfully and financially supported others in the adoption process.
This was a calling to DO EVEN MORE. While they had no clue where it would culminate, they knew God had something in the works.
Then, the wife in this family saw my blog post. She simply shared the link with her husband, saying nothing more than "take a look at this please". Without even discussing it with one another, they both felt an unspoken connection. They began asking questions, continued to pray, and God continued blessing them with little signs of confirmation.
Picture it: God knows the future, He knows what decision this family will make. He's smiling the whole time as He patiently waits for them to realize where they are headed. He knows His children will be living out the gospel in a new and wonderful way. He smiles as He watches over His little Violet, knowing the time is approaching when she is fully treasured by HER family.
Then, they knew. Violet was their child, waiting on the other side of the world.
Mind you, this family had not suddenly come across a large amount of extra cash, they did not have an extra room in their home, they did not have extensive experience caring for special needs children, they do not even know sign language! They didn't say "yes" to God because they were completely prepared and fully adequate for the task. They said "yes" because they love God and trust Him.
Contrary to popular belief, God may give them more than they can handle. But they know that "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). As a guest pastor pointed out this past Sunday, the verse does not say all easy things, all good things . . . it says in ALL things - good, bad, difficult, easy - God works. He will work in these lives.
Please pray for this family. The process has just begun for them, and I pray it moves swiftly so their sweet girl can be HOME! Details, such as the financial aspect / travel / learning sign language, will all be arranged as the process goes along. Pray for them and for God's provision in all these regards as they take this walk of faith.
Oh, and by the way, the family adopting her . . . well let's just clarify that Violet will be our niece!!! Ummmmm . . .WOW! How cool is that? She has been given many "alias" names throughout the process, but I am going to officially start calling her by the name her parents, my brother and sister-in-law, have chosen. Sarah. Sarah means "princess" in Hebrew, and that is exactly what she is, and how she'll be treated amongst her three excited big brothers!
As for us, we cannot believe how God has brought this little girl into our lives. We get to have Oliver, Kalli, AND SARAH join the family! Pinch me, because it's just fantastical!!
Here's the 4-1-1: beautiful little four-year-old girl, Violet, whom we sought to adopt at the same time as Oliver. She was listed with a different adoption agency, and they would not share with our agency.
Toddlers. They haven't learned how to share.
Not sharing meant we could not bring Violet home. :(
Heartbreak. Temper tantrum. And then peace. We know who is in control, and He showed us His plan in the form of our precious little Kalli. Yet our hearts still longed to find the family that was meant to bring Violet home.
I typed out the post (linked above) telling about this amazing child. She had a congenital heart condition that was surgically corrected, has low vision, and is deaf. It was the beginning of our advocating for her. Little did we know, it was also the end!!
Unbeknownst to us, God had been planting tiny seeds in the lives of another family. Adoption had been something they had considered about a decade before, born out of their compassion for the millions of children forgotten and alone. But back then, it wasn't His timing. As of late, He had been moving them in great ways. When I say moving them, I mean touching and moving their very souls. Stirring something deep within them that went beyond a concern for the fatherless. This family was already actively and whole-heartedly making a difference in the lives of orphans as they prayerfully and financially supported others in the adoption process.
This was a calling to DO EVEN MORE. While they had no clue where it would culminate, they knew God had something in the works.
Then, the wife in this family saw my blog post. She simply shared the link with her husband, saying nothing more than "take a look at this please". Without even discussing it with one another, they both felt an unspoken connection. They began asking questions, continued to pray, and God continued blessing them with little signs of confirmation.
Picture it: God knows the future, He knows what decision this family will make. He's smiling the whole time as He patiently waits for them to realize where they are headed. He knows His children will be living out the gospel in a new and wonderful way. He smiles as He watches over His little Violet, knowing the time is approaching when she is fully treasured by HER family.
Then, they knew. Violet was their child, waiting on the other side of the world.
Mind you, this family had not suddenly come across a large amount of extra cash, they did not have an extra room in their home, they did not have extensive experience caring for special needs children, they do not even know sign language! They didn't say "yes" to God because they were completely prepared and fully adequate for the task. They said "yes" because they love God and trust Him.
Contrary to popular belief, God may give them more than they can handle. But they know that "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). As a guest pastor pointed out this past Sunday, the verse does not say all easy things, all good things . . . it says in ALL things - good, bad, difficult, easy - God works. He will work in these lives.
Please pray for this family. The process has just begun for them, and I pray it moves swiftly so their sweet girl can be HOME! Details, such as the financial aspect / travel / learning sign language, will all be arranged as the process goes along. Pray for them and for God's provision in all these regards as they take this walk of faith.
Oh, and by the way, the family adopting her . . . well let's just clarify that Violet will be our niece!!! Ummmmm . . .WOW! How cool is that? She has been given many "alias" names throughout the process, but I am going to officially start calling her by the name her parents, my brother and sister-in-law, have chosen. Sarah. Sarah means "princess" in Hebrew, and that is exactly what she is, and how she'll be treated amongst her three excited big brothers!
As for us, we cannot believe how God has brought this little girl into our lives. We get to have Oliver, Kalli, AND SARAH join the family! Pinch me, because it's just fantastical!!
Friday, February 14, 2014
Help Us Find Her Family
Deafness was not on our list of special needs that we were willing to accept. Quite frankly, it scared us. Funny how God can change your perspective on something so that it is no longer formidable. Our objections to albinism were modified as God worked on our hearts to show us Oliver was our son, and He also worked a change in us when it came to potentially parenting a child who is deaf.
You may remember from the Struggle and Battle Post that there is a 4-year-old girl at the same orphanage as Oliver. I'm going to call her "Violet". If you did not manage to plow through that extensive post (I don't blame you!), here is an excerpt telling about her:
"We came across a 4-year-old girl who is also at Bethel with Oliver. She had a heart condition that had been surgically corrected, cataracts that had been removed but still left her with low vision, and she is deaf. While she was listed with another agency who had received inquiries about her, it was our understanding there was not a family currently looking at her file. After researching the resources available to us for her care, we were ready to bring her home and determined to fight. Our agency contacted the other agency, an advocate contacted them, and we contacted them. No. No. No. They were not willing to release her file to our agency until roughly March. How is that in the best interest of this child?! When did they forget to be passionate about her having a family??? Frustrating, heart-breaking, to say the least. Our fight was fruitless."
Because of the technicality of her being listed with an agency other than our own, we were forced to move on. Waiting for them to release her file in late March would have caused Oliver to wait longer than we were willing to make him wait. Soon after this, our family found out we were to be blessed with the honor of having Kalli as our daughter!! We are so grateful and thankful!!
There will forever be a place in our hearts for this little one. It is dumbfounding how God brought us from being fearful of her condition, to being ready to bring her home. Since we cannot, we have decided to advocate for this child with all our might. Her family is out there - SOMEWHERE! Could it be you? Maybe parenting a deaf child seems frightening to you, but there are so many resources available to support you! We were delighted to discover that once she moves to the USA, she may be a candidate for cochlear implants! A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf. An implant does not restore normal hearing, but it can give a deaf person a useful representation of sounds in the environment and help him or her to understand speech. We watched a video of a child who is deaf receiving her first implant. Witnessing that little child hear sounds for the first time made us weep!!
"Violet" is developmentally behind because no one knew how to work with her for a long time. She is currently receiving excellent care and therapies and making huge strides. Her potential is enormous!
You may remember from the Struggle and Battle Post that there is a 4-year-old girl at the same orphanage as Oliver. I'm going to call her "Violet". If you did not manage to plow through that extensive post (I don't blame you!), here is an excerpt telling about her:
"We came across a 4-year-old girl who is also at Bethel with Oliver. She had a heart condition that had been surgically corrected, cataracts that had been removed but still left her with low vision, and she is deaf. While she was listed with another agency who had received inquiries about her, it was our understanding there was not a family currently looking at her file. After researching the resources available to us for her care, we were ready to bring her home and determined to fight. Our agency contacted the other agency, an advocate contacted them, and we contacted them. No. No. No. They were not willing to release her file to our agency until roughly March. How is that in the best interest of this child?! When did they forget to be passionate about her having a family??? Frustrating, heart-breaking, to say the least. Our fight was fruitless."
Because of the technicality of her being listed with an agency other than our own, we were forced to move on. Waiting for them to release her file in late March would have caused Oliver to wait longer than we were willing to make him wait. Soon after this, our family found out we were to be blessed with the honor of having Kalli as our daughter!! We are so grateful and thankful!!
There will forever be a place in our hearts for this little one. It is dumbfounding how God brought us from being fearful of her condition, to being ready to bring her home. Since we cannot, we have decided to advocate for this child with all our might. Her family is out there - SOMEWHERE! Could it be you? Maybe parenting a deaf child seems frightening to you, but there are so many resources available to support you! We were delighted to discover that once she moves to the USA, she may be a candidate for cochlear implants! A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf. An implant does not restore normal hearing, but it can give a deaf person a useful representation of sounds in the environment and help him or her to understand speech. We watched a video of a child who is deaf receiving her first implant. Witnessing that little child hear sounds for the first time made us weep!!
"Violet" is developmentally behind because no one knew how to work with her for a long time. She is currently receiving excellent care and therapies and making huge strides. Her potential is enormous!
Here is a link to a website with more info on this sweetie pie: Twenty Less Website
Bethel China is where "Violet" is currently living. You can read about this fantastic organization by clicking on that link. Her full medical file is available, as well as up-to-date and realistic information from Bethel with her fantastic progress in the last several months. I have some mothers of deaf children who have shared their stories with me, and would gladly pass on their contact info to give you encouragement that you CAN parent a deaf child!! Please contact us if you would like to know more. Please share this with anyone you know who might be considering adopting. Help us find her family!!
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