We are finally... officially.... waiting...
After nine intense weeks of constant "paper chasing", we are finally at a point where all we can do is wait. We are waiting to hear when our appointment will be for our USCIS clearances. Then we will wait to go to the appointment. Then we will wait to get our approval - Lord willing.
After that, we will have a bit of paperwork to do again to get the rest of the dossier notarized, apostilled, and then sent overseas. And again we will wait...for our dossier to be officially submitted... and then for our appointment date in Eastern Europe.
We know who goes before us and we are so grateful. To God be the glory. Great things He hath done!
Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
Psalm 27:14
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,They shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31
Pray with us as we wait and trust in Him for His perfect timing.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
En Route
Today, the first part of our dossier began its journey to Maeve's country. It's just a stack of papers, but these are documents we have spent weeks gathering, checking and rechecking. Hours on the phone scheduling appointments to have meetings, medical tests, and gathering information about us and our lives from officials (to make even things like the way we spell our names officially official) for documents that all had to be approved, then notarized, and then apostilled by the state. And now, two months after making the commitment to adopt this little love...
We have met so many kind and helpful people since we began the process of adoption. We enjoy meeting new folks and hearing their stories. It's amazing how much we all have in common, and how many of us are connected by just a few people in between. We have learned so much...and this is just the beginning!
During this time of working intently to compile our dossier as quickly as paperwork procedures will allow, we have been so uplifted by your prayers and your outpouring of love and support for our family.
Thank you for your kind responses to our letter.
Thank you for your encouraging words.
Thank you for your love and your prayers!
We appreciate you!!
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7
we are 35 documents closer to her. We still have a few more to collect/have notarized/send off to be apostilled, and then wait for them to return, but we are getting there. Praise the Lord!!!
We have met so many kind and helpful people since we began the process of adoption. We enjoy meeting new folks and hearing their stories. It's amazing how much we all have in common, and how many of us are connected by just a few people in between. We have learned so much...and this is just the beginning!
During this time of working intently to compile our dossier as quickly as paperwork procedures will allow, we have been so uplifted by your prayers and your outpouring of love and support for our family.
Thank you for your kind responses to our letter.
Thank you for your encouraging words.
Thank you for your love and your prayers!
We appreciate you!!
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7
Sunday, May 12, 2013
High Hopes in Him
Wow! Recently, we read about the first person with Down Syndrome to receive an honorary doctorate!
It's no secret that most parents want the best for their children. We dream of the day they will come into the world, or in the case of adoption, into our family forever. We imagine what they will look like, sound like, be like. We dream big dreams for them and pray over them as if their very lives depended on it...(they do).
We know some wonder what our lives will look like many years from now. So do we! But in the same way that we've always wondered. We've wondered for a long time if the Lord is coming back before we grow old. We're still wondering about that. We're looking for him because the Bible says in Hebrews 9:28,
"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."
There are plenty of future details to wonder about, but it is also written in Matthew 6:34, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
Still, what parent can't help but dream, hope, and pray for our little ones' days to come. Oh Lord, that they would be full of you and love to serve you!
Just as we can never predict the talents and abilities of any biological child the Lord gives us, there is no way to know what capabilities an adopted child will be blessed with. We do know that for any child, love and nurturing can foster optimal growth and development. We know that every child deserves parents whose hopes are so very high for them.
Our hopes are high because they are all in Him. Not because we have unrealistic expectations. Not because we are unaware that parenting is challenging. Our hopes are high because we serve an awesome God who is able to supply all of our needs no matter the circumstances. He is our shield and our portion, our strong tower and our fortress, our rock and our redeemer. He is our salvation! If we rest in Him, He supplies peace that surpasses all understanding and He is ALL we need.
It's no secret that most parents want the best for their children. We dream of the day they will come into the world, or in the case of adoption, into our family forever. We imagine what they will look like, sound like, be like. We dream big dreams for them and pray over them as if their very lives depended on it...(they do).
We know some wonder what our lives will look like many years from now. So do we! But in the same way that we've always wondered. We've wondered for a long time if the Lord is coming back before we grow old. We're still wondering about that. We're looking for him because the Bible says in Hebrews 9:28,
"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."
There are plenty of future details to wonder about, but it is also written in Matthew 6:34, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
Still, what parent can't help but dream, hope, and pray for our little ones' days to come. Oh Lord, that they would be full of you and love to serve you!
Just as we can never predict the talents and abilities of any biological child the Lord gives us, there is no way to know what capabilities an adopted child will be blessed with. We do know that for any child, love and nurturing can foster optimal growth and development. We know that every child deserves parents whose hopes are so very high for them.
Our hopes are high because they are all in Him. Not because we have unrealistic expectations. Not because we are unaware that parenting is challenging. Our hopes are high because we serve an awesome God who is able to supply all of our needs no matter the circumstances. He is our shield and our portion, our strong tower and our fortress, our rock and our redeemer. He is our salvation! If we rest in Him, He supplies peace that surpasses all understanding and He is ALL we need.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21.
Please continue to pray for our sweet girls' health and safety. <3
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Are we there yet?
One of the first questions we get asked after sharing about our adoption is, "When can you bring her home?"
Our hearts say, "Not soon enough." Every day there instead of here is another day Maeve didn't get to be a daughter. Today, sweet Maeve didn't get to feel our arms around her or feel her big sister practice being "soft" by gently stroking her little hands.
We honestly don't know the exact conditions of her daily life at this point. We know what we have read and heard from other parents who have adopted from her country. We know that baby houses are "better" than the ADULT mental institutions they are transferred to, as early as the age of four . We know that some baby houses are better than others, depending on the directors and staff. We know that regardless of how much a nanny may care for the children, there is still a severe deprivation of human contact. There is still inadequate nutrition for their growing bodies. Some families have recently brought home one year olds wearing 6 months size clothing and three year olds fitting into 18 months and even 12 months size clothing.
Each day we pray Maeve is cared for with compassion, even if that means God miraculously softens hearts that were hardened before. It seems incredulous to most of us here in America that children could be seen as less that human, less than worthy of time and attention, proper nutrition and a chance to grow as healthily as possible. Most of us cannot understand what it is like to have had our opinions about children with special needs and disabilities formed by a society that condones the disposal of these babies the moment they are born. It is a societal expectation to sign away parental rights as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed in the hospital. The rejected babies are then squandered away, housed by the hundreds, hidden from society.
We know that our Father in heaven can do all things. We ask Him to change hearts, knowing He hears the cries of His children, that He loves us, and that He will never leave nor forsake us. We pray expectantly! We pray daily that Maeve is not hungry. As we sit down to pray over our meal, we think of her and ask the Lord to protect her from hunger. That if necessary, He supernaturally supplies her need for nourishment. We believe He will do this...because we ask as blood bought, born again children of God. We go boldly before His throne and we call on the name of Jesus, and we have peace that surpasses all understanding, including ours.
The culmination of this process will be traveling to Eastern Europe to meet Maeve, be named as her parents in court, and then finally, bring her home Lord willing. The latest that her homecoming should be is September - her birthday month! We are praying for it to happen sooner, understanding that God's timing is perfect, and desiring to remain in the center of His will for our travel plans. Please pray about these things with us.
A family for her birthday...
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Matthew 7:11
Thank you for your prayers!!
Our hearts say, "Not soon enough." Every day there instead of here is another day Maeve didn't get to be a daughter. Today, sweet Maeve didn't get to feel our arms around her or feel her big sister practice being "soft" by gently stroking her little hands.
We honestly don't know the exact conditions of her daily life at this point. We know what we have read and heard from other parents who have adopted from her country. We know that baby houses are "better" than the ADULT mental institutions they are transferred to, as early as the age of four . We know that some baby houses are better than others, depending on the directors and staff. We know that regardless of how much a nanny may care for the children, there is still a severe deprivation of human contact. There is still inadequate nutrition for their growing bodies. Some families have recently brought home one year olds wearing 6 months size clothing and three year olds fitting into 18 months and even 12 months size clothing.
Each day we pray Maeve is cared for with compassion, even if that means God miraculously softens hearts that were hardened before. It seems incredulous to most of us here in America that children could be seen as less that human, less than worthy of time and attention, proper nutrition and a chance to grow as healthily as possible. Most of us cannot understand what it is like to have had our opinions about children with special needs and disabilities formed by a society that condones the disposal of these babies the moment they are born. It is a societal expectation to sign away parental rights as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed in the hospital. The rejected babies are then squandered away, housed by the hundreds, hidden from society.
We know that our Father in heaven can do all things. We ask Him to change hearts, knowing He hears the cries of His children, that He loves us, and that He will never leave nor forsake us. We pray expectantly! We pray daily that Maeve is not hungry. As we sit down to pray over our meal, we think of her and ask the Lord to protect her from hunger. That if necessary, He supernaturally supplies her need for nourishment. We believe He will do this...because we ask as blood bought, born again children of God. We go boldly before His throne and we call on the name of Jesus, and we have peace that surpasses all understanding, including ours.
The culmination of this process will be traveling to Eastern Europe to meet Maeve, be named as her parents in court, and then finally, bring her home Lord willing. The latest that her homecoming should be is September - her birthday month! We are praying for it to happen sooner, understanding that God's timing is perfect, and desiring to remain in the center of His will for our travel plans. Please pray about these things with us.
A family for her birthday...
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Matthew 7:11
Thank you for your prayers!!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
'Tis so sweet...
I tend to sing the second verse to this song around the house a lot:
'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take him at his word;
Just to rest upon his promise;
Just to know, thus saith the Lord.
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
How I've proved him o'er and o'er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust him more.
O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust his cleansing blood;
Just in simple faith to plunge me
'Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.
I'm so glad I learned to trust thee,
Precious Jesus, Saviour, Friend;
And I know that thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.
I love old hymns. They can really minister to my heart. So can Todd Agnew's songs. And I just discovered Bethel...:)
Just to rest upon his promise;
Just to know, thus saith the Lord.
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
How I've proved him o'er and o'er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust him more.
O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust his cleansing blood;
Just in simple faith to plunge me
'Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.
I'm so glad I learned to trust thee,
Precious Jesus, Saviour, Friend;
And I know that thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.
I love old hymns. They can really minister to my heart. So can Todd Agnew's songs. And I just discovered Bethel...:)
I really love when I'm reading the Bible and I recognize the verses from contemporary Christian music because nothing is more powerful than the Word of God. Music can help us memorize it and get it where it needs to be...hidden in our hearts, etched in our soul forever.
Monday, April 22, 2013
The Word is Powerful
The name of Jesus brings
conviction to the hearts of sinners, hope to those who can find hope in nothing
else, and healing by the precious blood of the lamb that was slain that we
might be saved.
MIGHT be. Amazing!
Unfathomable!
Jesus hung on a
cross and died for us to have a chance to be reconciled with him…whether or not
we choose to accept Him. He gave his
life just that we might be saved.
Oh how I
love Jesus. He is the Word made flesh. The words of
God are the most powerful and the Bible says in Isaiah 55:11 that His word does
not return void.
There are four
bible verses on our shower curtain. Yes,
on our shower curtain! It’s very
pretty.
Joshua 24:15
says, “But for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”
I love
looking at that verse and knowing that “me and my house” live to serve the
Lord. I am so thankful for my
husband. I am thankful that the Lord saw
fit to draw us together, so imperfectly perfect for each other, two sinners
saved by grace and desiring to make an impact for the kingdom of God.
Psalm 98:4
says, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth make a loud noise, and
rejoice, and sing praise.”
Boy do we
love to make joyful noises! We love to
sing and praise the Lord. We love to
sing and be silly with it sometimes.
Laughter and joy are so necessary when doing the work of the Lord. He wants us to be happy and serve Him with
cheerful hearts!
Even when it's hard. That's also when it can be the sweetest. I pray that the power of God's word reigns in your life today and that your praises drive away the enemy. In Jesus' name!
Stay tuned for the other two verses...unless you have the same shower curtain and you know what they are. I've never seen this at anyone else's house but if it is sold at the store everyone shops at, others must have it too. :)
Please continue to pray for our girls!!
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Victory in Jesus!!!
We know we have it...but don't you just love to hear testimonies that make you want to shout about it??
First there was THIS POST by a busy mom working on her fourth adoption from Eastern Europe.
The Lord put it on her heart to ADVOCATE for some young men she had met on a recent mission trip. And she obeyed. And then there was a MIGHTY MOVE OF GOD as his Spirit moved on people far and wide to pray and pray hard for these young men.
God said MOVE and the BODY OF CHRIST moved!!! What an awesome thing!
The cries of the people went up and GOD HEARD!
And GOD ANSWERED!
THANK YOU LORD!!!
Not only did "Sebastian's" family find him, but "Ianto" will be his brother! Oh what a glorious day it was yesterday to get this news!!
I've been shouting and praising and there were tears of joy. And now I want to testify about how the members of the body of Christ were called to stand in the gap for these teens. I was just one of many. I know there were SO many. God stirred his army and it went to BATTLE! Prayer warriors stormed the gates of heaven for these children that the Lord loves so dearly.
My heart was so heavy for them. I had briefly read about them before. I had seen their pictures. But then suddenly a few days ago, something changed. God pricked my heart to pray for these boys as unmistakably as if He had called me on the phone and asked me to do it. What an honor to be called and used for God's purpose in this situation!
I can just see Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father...leaning in...saying, "These are my sheep, Father. They follow me. They believe in me and the power of your Word."
Oh thank you Jesus, our advocate in heaven!
What a joy to be an advocate for His orphaned sheep. <3
And now there is this post.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Psalm 48:1
Keep praying! Joseph and others still need a family!
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