A BIG Update ... Blessed!

We have some news to share.  We are now settled back home as a family of seven!  We received a call on Monday, March 6^th that resulted in traveling to Texas to receive our little girl on Wednesday, March 8^th … which was Corbin’s birthday!  Our sweet Adalyn Joy was born on March 2^nd weighing in at 5 pounds 1 ounce.  She is a healthy, precious girl.  Chris, Alex, Kylie and myself drove through the night to Texas and spent seven nights there waiting approval to come home.  It was glorious to make it back home and reunite as a family again. We had always thought we would be traveling to Georgia but going to Texas instead was also a blessing.  I was able to see a precious sweet lady that I have known through my adoption work for many years now.  That was another very special part of this trip. It was a whirlwind, but we are amazingly blessed. 

 

I wanted to share just a bit about the past month.  Corbin and I were able to go on a short term mission trip to Honduras February 10^th through the 18^th.  It was an incredible time together, serving the Lord through drilling a well for a community school.  God spoke to me often on that trip and in ways I was not expecting.  This adoption process has been long, at times it has felt discouraging, but also God graciously gave us so many moments of confirmation.   Some may feel we are too old to be doing this again.  I know some have wondered why we would start with a newborn in our 40’s.  All I can tell you is that God has led us down this road, and even when things may seem odd from a worldly perspective, we believe this is what God has led us to do.  Back to the mission trip, one common theme on that trip was JOY … we sang often of Joy and of the goodness of God in every single day.  God gave us so much joy in that week.  Coming home renewed, joy-filled, has been an amazing gift I was not expecting.  God spoke to me on that trip.  He confirmed the job He has for me in my work life and in my mommy life.  We are ready to continue to ride this adventure with Him. 

 

A story on her name … while driving to Texas we had been trying to decide on her name, when it came to her middle name I just kept coming back to wanting her middle name to be Joy.  We had discussed Joy, Grace, and Hope.  When we finally decided on Adalyn Joy and texted it to our agency in Texas the worker passed along the name information to the caring home mom for Adalyn.  Because our sweetie did not have a name leaving the hospital, the caring home mom did not have a name to be calling her.  We found out from the agency that when her name ADALYN JOY was relayed the caring home mom shared that she had been calling her Joy because she has the most joyous little face and personality.   How is that for a God moment?  Another reminder that God is in the details.

Thank you to all of you who have prayed for us over the past (almost) 4 years.  Can you believe we started this journey in the international process 4 years ago this coming May.  The domestic adoption side of this journey has been just over a year and a half.  It honestly felt much longer than that much of the time.  We have always believed that God had the timing all figured out.  We are grateful that we have been entrusted this little one.  It is a big job, and one we do not take lightly.  We are blessed.    

 Isn’t she beautiful!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Thoughts From a LEO Wife

 

I am not sure why but this 9/11 has been a bit tougher for me.  I have always realized the magnitude of the events of 9/11 and I remember vividly that day watching the devastation, broken for those personally impacted and wondering how this may reach our family … what if something happens here, close to home?  What if my husband has to be at “ground zero” for days on end? 

This year though I think I have come to my personal realization of the ways that I failed to acknowledge and support my husband.  He has put on the uniform for 22 ½ years.  He has taken in and seen far more than I will ever realize.  He ends each shift putting it all into a mental box, locks it up, and comes home to be an amazing dad and husband.  He works really hard to make sure that his work life doesn’t carry over into our innocence at home.  He has done such a good job of this that really what I have to admit is that I have failed to acknowledge for many of these 22 ½ years the job he walks into each day. 

 

A little over one year after we were married he started his first law enforcement job.  I think originally I had fear of something happening to him, what if he is killed?  I always took the mindset that I can’t live in that fear, God will always be there for whatever comes our way and we have to live life.  I had a wise, more seasoned, law enforcement wife sit me down prior to Chris’ first job and share with me that there will be days that you have to support even though you have no idea what they saw, or had to experience.  She was wise in her advice even though I didn’t really understand what life would be like.  Chris went to work each day, and sometimes, if I was lucky I would hear a funny story; something that would give us a good laugh.  It was rare that I was ever exposed to the bad stuff.  His first week I got a little peek, but after that … it was rare.  I actually was so clueless that I would often question the job they did and why/how they had to do it.  I struggled to accept that people would need to be forcefully taken down or even worse, shot.  Why can’t the force be stopped in a non-lethal way?  I sometimes would question, he would explain, and it never settled well with me.  The bottom line was, I was failing to acknowledge what he steps into each day.  My frame of reference told me that that type of response shouldn’t be necessary, and truthfully, because they do what they do, I can live not understanding when that type of response is necessary.

 

Since 2014 my stance and willingness to understand has completely shifted.  Sad isn’t it.  Really, it took me many years, probably not 20, but far too many to reach the place of understanding.  This understanding isn’t even about just that I want him to make it home each night.  This understanding is that the world law enforcement officers are in each day is something that we do not have a clue in grasping.  When I stop and realize that my husband has taken weapons off of people that had bad intentions countless times, he has used all methods (without lethal force) to apprehend and detain weapon carrying people over his 22+ years, dealt with so many on drugs, strung out or so drunk they have fallen asleep at the wheel at a stop light, or done even worse.  Having to use lethal force is the last option; it is what kicks in when you have gone through all other means in your brain.  For some that mental checklist has to be run through very quickly.  He has worked with 100’s of people with mental health struggles.  He has seen them be willing to comply and he has seen when they have had to get compliance by force.  It is broken, it is something none of us want to think about, but it is a job that he is willing to do.  He is willing to continue to go to work each day, answering each call of unknowns.  He has the courage to do this.  He runs in when everyone else is running out.  How tragic and sad that his own wife hasn’t taken the time to acknowledge this for his entire career. 

I am struggling when I meet people that don’t understand.  When people take the stance that men and women in law enforcement do the job for power, control and people actually believing that pulling the trigger “ain’t nothing but another day at work.”  I will fight for LEOs and will defend them unless an individual case warrants otherwise.  Although this job will change you, I refuse to believe that those entering this job do it with bad intentions.  They actually (most often) think they can make a difference.  Funny huh, that they would actually think they could impact positively those that they interact with.

My (non-adoptive) post today on this 9/11 is to say, thank you.  Thank you Chris, and thank you to the almost 1 million LEOs who get into their squad cars, answer calls and make the hardest decisions imaginable.  I can assure you that the LEO I live with loves his black daughter more than words can express.  He cares deeply for all that he serves each day, of every ethnic background and life circumstance.  I also believe that the VAST majority of LEOs fall into that category.  Chris may be beyond the years of believing any longer that he will have personal impact.  The reality sets in and instead of thinking about that, he does the best that he can do with each person he comes in contact with. 

From what I understand there have been almost 150 first responders who have died over the past 15 years since that day in September 2001.  Those that worked that site for weeks and months and their fate in that commitment was death due to exposure from the elements present.  My hope is that I will adequately prepare my children to understand how difficult the job is and how important respect is when dealing with law enforcement.  I wish that we could see that example from other adults.  I have lived my days of ignorance of this job, and lack of respect and understanding of what they do.  I will no longer be bound by that.  Thank you all of you LEOs that I am friends with that run into the danger instead of running out.  Thank you that you respond without regard to your own well-being so that those in the community can be protected.  And thank you to my husband, who has lived with a wife that hasn’t had a clue for much of the past 22 ½ years, but he still loves me.  Imagine that?  His patience and love for me even when I didn’t get it.  I think I am a pretty blessed wife. 

Never forget … please never forget the sacrifice and willingness every day by first responders. 

Are You Still Adopting?

 

 

 

We have fielded this question many times over the past months.  Truly caring friends and family that wonder what, if any, progress has occurred.  I think many assume that we probably have dropped out of this process and probably don’t want to ask as it is a hard topic sometimes.  The answer is, “yes,” we are still adopting, we are still waiting and we are still confident that God is speaking to us in that we need to continue to wait.  In talking about this last week, we realized that at this point of being active at the agency in Georgia, we still haven’t waited as long as we did for Kylie.  That wait was 10 months from the time our home study was complete.  We are at about nine months right now of being active at the agency domestically.  Clearly, with starting internationally in 2013, we have waited longer than nine months, but for our current process we right now have waited the length of a pregnancy.

 

One thing that anyone who has adopted can likely relate to is do you “get ready” or wait, when it comes to preparedness with a crib, clothes and other baby items.  This time for us we are approved to adopt a child up to age five.  We assume it will be a baby, but it may not be.  We are prepared, but not prepared all at the same time this time around.  Recently we had friends gift us an over-abundance of clothing which makes us more set in that department then I ever thought imaginable.  Being older parents, we also know that you can get by for awhile without the cool baby items that we deemed completely necessary when we had Corbin 16 years ago.   J

 

I wanted to share again God’s amazing goodness and how He speaks.  I often find that I just need to really listen because He does want to reveal to us if we stop and hear Him.  We have had some tough struggles lately helping Kylie work through her grief and loss in adoption (another blog post could be written about that piece, and the misnomer that children adopted at birth will have little to deal with related to their adoption) … this particular day I was very sad, so sad for her and feeling completely incompetent in our ability as her parents.  I was crying out to the Lord and actually told Him that “We can’t do this again … it is too hard!”  I had decided in that moment while sitting in my glider that this was it, we have all we can handle and honestly, “I’m out” on another go-round is what I thought in my head.  Awhile later when I went to check my email I realized we had an email from the agency in Georgia. These emails are not common as we typically have no idea when our profile is being shown.  This email was inquiring with us about a situation and asking would we want to be shown.  I was amazed, once again, that God spoke at the exact time that I was having my melt-down.  He has been gracious in allowing us to receive an answer from Him exactly when we have wondered if we are still to be pursuing.  We were shown, and didn’t end up being chosen for that situation, but God knew we needed another confirmation.  I am sure He is probably thinking “when are you going to get it??” 

 

I have said many times in this process, and continue to say, God’s timing is the only thing we can count on.  We don’t know what is coming, we don’t know when and we honestly don’t know if it will ever happen.  But the one thing we do know is that for some reason God still has us waiting.  For some reason, God has chosen to supply the entire remaining financial need for this adoption, and for some reason He chooses to speak to us in each moment we have of hesitation and doubt.  So, there’s my update … not really an update, but another proclamation that we are still waiting … God continues to have all the details and our job continues to be obediently waiting on Him.

 

Remaining Thankful!

 

Updates can feel futile when there hasn’t been a change.  The wait in adoption is waiting on something that you cannot see, feel or hear.  You are trusting that in this wait, things are happening but you just don’t have the ability to see or know those things.  It is a journey of faith for sure and also a discipline in the art of releasing control.  I have struggled between letting it go to the point of not even thinking about it for days at a time to being consumed each day with thoughts of  “When Lord?  When?” … Americans are not accustomed to waiting.  And I confess, I do not always “wait” well.  Every few months bring discussions and wonderings about God’s plan in this.  What will the outcome be?  We do not know.  We do not know how long it will be before it is revealed. 

 

In crying out to the Lord over the past week I have just asked for Him to show us if we are to stop on this road and to show us if we are to continue on this road.  Yesterday God spoke again through an email from a granting entity that we had applied to in October.  We had assumed that we were not awarded this grant as it has been over four months since we sent our application.  Well, God spoke clearly again yesterday, we have been awarded another grant.  It is humbling to be the recipient of a financial gift … we have experienced many on this journey.  It is humbling that our amazing God, our BIG God cares enough about speaking to us that He would show us, so long after applying to this grant, that He still wants us on this journey.  I hope, before I leave this earth, that I can finally find a way to live in the knowledge daily that God has it all … He has it so that we don’t need to worry.  We don’t need to wonder, we just need to trust.  And even more than that, we need to be thankful, every single day, every single minute.  Thankful even in the unknown and thankful even when it is hard. God is so good, He has plans far beyond our limited grasp of understanding. 

 

So, I am thankful, and will work to obediently wait until His plan is revealed!

Waiting with Anticipation

 

Just a little update before Christmas.  We received some incredible news this week in the form of an email informing us of an adoption grant we have received.  We are overwhelmed with this provision that God has provided.  We were reminded through a sermon two weeks ago of the importance of waiting with anticipation of the things that the Lord is doing in our lives.  Sometimes it is so incredibly easy to focus on how hard the wait is and that we don’t want to wait anymore.  The thing is, while we are ‘waiting’ God is not silent … He is continually working.  What a difference it makes when you can remind yourselves and live in that way of thinking.  When we wait with anticipation it helps us to remember that He is working, He hasn’t left us and He has much to do that may not fit into “our” timeframe.  This new financial provision is not only another reminder of an incredibly Gracious God, but also another confirmation that this is where we are supposed to be.  To say we haven’t wondered “How long Lord?” or even “Is this really going to happen Lord?” …. would be a lie, but gentle reminders and confirmations along the way help us to know that this is where we are supposed to be. 

 

We hope you have a wonderfully blessed Christmas!  We are excited to spend another year celebrating our Savior.  We are honored that we have opportunities to serve Him, and will wait for as long as He has us in this process.  We are now focusing on waiting with anticipation on the things the Lord is going to do!  We hope that if you are waiting for something that you will also be able to remind yourself to wait with anticipation … We serve an amazing God and he has not left you!  Merry Christmas!

A Long Over Due Update

 

This update is long overdue!  We are now actively waiting in domestic adoption with an agency in Georgia.  We really don’t know how long it will take, this is something to release to the Lord and know that He knows the plan and we are ready for what He brings our way.  Kylie just celebrated her seventh birthday and she is really excited to bring home a little sister.

We have had one other major change to share.  We moved, again.  We decided this summer that we needed to try and move back to Farmington and put our house on the market to see if it would sell.  This was a hard decision as having acreage was a long-time dream of ours.  We just knew that it was probably best to move again so we wanted to see what would happen and would remain in that home if it didn’t sell.  It took about a month, but we did end up selling and all of our hard work and sweat equity paid off in our ability to move back close to our old neighborhood without a financial hit.  We were back in Farmington for the start of the school year thanks to the help of Anita and Joel and their providing us a place to live.  We had two weeks of 14 people under one roof … and I must say it actually went fairly well. 

It was a long year of physical labor, one we never want to experience again.  However, we continue to remind ourselves that we are blessed beyond measure and are grateful for a roof over our heads and a comfortable place to call home.  We have been in our new home a month and have worked hard to get settled.  Our renovation project in our other home had reached a point where we were finally able to put our feet up, so we didn’t want to move into another “fixer upper.”  We are looking forward to more time to spend with family this next year and are hopeful that this next adoption will happen sooner rather than later.  Thanks for still reading our updates … we are thankful for the support we receive from you all and do appreciate your interest in our adoption journey.             

Another Direction

Not sure who is even reading or following this journey any more.  I think writing things down is probably therapeutic for me so I continue to do it even if no one is reading it!  :)  We have waited three more months … three months of nothing.  No news, no updates, no court date in sight.  Inquiries to the other side of the world have been responded with, “nothing yet.”   It has now been 20 months since our paperwork got to Ghana.  20 months of absolutely no progress.

Chris and I have had some hard decisions to make.  We have had to evaluate, and re-evaluate our entrance into this process and looking to the things that we knew we had clarity on when starting to adopt again.  Entering this process this time around was much different than when we adopted Kylie.  We have felt equipped to bring home a little bit older child and have known that our deepest desire is to bring another child into our family with the same ethnic background as Kylie. We really had our first time of not knowing what to do last August.  I think God was starting to work on us to think about a different path, but at that time we just didn’t know for sure if changing was the right thing.  I talked about it in my blog post, The Curve Ball -   http://www.followinghimonthejourney.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-curve-ball.html.  Now, as another season of baseball is upon us, and we are still no further along than we were last August ... we have made the decision to change to domestic adoption.  This means updating our home study, redoing the paperwork with a new agency and talking through the changes of this with our kids.  Another test in the unknown ... more moments of are we too old?  Will anyone even pick us?   Can we go back to the baby stage?  This process may be more familiar to us since we have done it before, but that doesn’t mean it is less treacherous.  All types of adoption have their challenges and all are a reminder that there are kids that need homes and that is the number one thing God has been asking of us all along:  To be a family for a child.  So we are doing paperwork again, more forms, copies and more copies, notarizing ‘stuff’ and having another new worker enter our home and lives.  When we had our home visit recently we were asked by the worker if we have had any major circumstances that have impacted us since our last home study.  The biggest thing we can say is … deeper relationship with Christ and a trust in knowing that He is in complete control.  Thanks for following us on this crazy journey!!              

Fear

 

Fear … how it can be stifling and crippling, or a source to encourage you to go to the remover of fear, the One that wants to take ahold of our fears.  Waiting is hard, it really stinks.  The unknown is hard, it really stinks.  Creating scenarios in your head that you then fear is hard, it really stinks.  Why do we do that?  I feel like many days I hope for the best, but prepare mentally for the worst.  What will we do if we don’t get her home?  What will we do if we become legally her parents but can’t get her out of Ghana?  What happens if she comes home and the reality of her trauma is far worse than we hoped for?  What if Chris is shot tomorrow?  What if one of my kids is critically injured?  What if …

I was reminded this weekend through the blessing of an honest, Truth speaking pastor, that God is here, He promises to never leave us and He provides the mercies needed for the battle of each day.  A reminder to keep the perspective that it isn’t about my abilities to conquer, that my situation is not unique and we should not underestimate the ability of God.  When I am weighed down by the fear of the wait, or the fear of sending my husband to work each day I cannot be lost in the “what if’s” … I would encourage you to remember this today as well.  Use today’s mercies to fight today’s troubles … He will provide the mercies needed to battle what comes tomorrow, or in the future.

Lamentations 3:22-23~ ²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  ²³ They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Matthew 6:34 ~ ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The Gift

It has been a few months since we updated our progress.  We have had some exciting things happening and have a renewed energy in this process.  In August, we received a gift … a gift of updated pictures of the sweet little one in Ghana for whom we have been praying  … for over a year now.  Our friend from Rochester traveled to Ghana and was able to MEET her.  What a gift … an in-person meeting and new pictures of her.  So thankful for that gift.  Sometimes you can convince yourself that someone has played a cruel trick on you and that the child you have a picture of and are praying for doesn’t exist.  Of course that could happen, and has I am sure to many people, but having someone put eyes on her was a gift that we are thankful for.

 We moved on September 30^th and since that time have been working on getting things updated.  Our agency was finally able to get out to our home in November for a new home study assessment and we had our updated home study in hand the end of the first week in December.  Let me tell you, when you are a person who is responsible for writing home studies it is really hard to be patient waiting for that document to arrive.  Another item of patience in the process.  Our home study update has made it to Ghana, we have updated and renewed our application with the US government and as of yesterday, had the additional money needed wired to Ghana for the next step in this process.   It is encouraging to see (through a Facebook group we are a part of) many people from the US finally getting to the point of bringing kiddos home and making it through the process.  Less orphans, more kids with a forever family.    

So, we are praying again for a court date.  We knew, over the past several months, that nothing was going to happen because we had to get things updated and have money sent for the new program director.  Now that those things have been accomplished there is the possibility, once again, that progress can be made.  We have had many conversations over the past few months with our kids, who have become increasingly skeptical that we will even make it to the other side of this process.  We have had hard conversations that are more “grown-up” in nature as the boys’ ages bring hard questions that show their fears present in this process.  Fears of parents having to travel and trusting that through all of this, God has a plan that we are following.  We are privileged to serve a mighty God, this process gives you many opportunities to learn and experience His mightiness in new ways.  Please pray with us that this sweet little girl can have the process completed to determine her orphan status.  Please pray that if she is able to have a family to live in that the court process would be completed.  Please pray that she will not have to have to go through another full year without a family to care for her. 

We hope that you all have a blessed Christmas!  We are likely not going to get Christmas cards out this year.  I so enjoy getting cards in the mail; one of my favorite things each year.  If you send us a Christmas card it will still forward from our old address … or if you want our new address please get in touch with me and I will gladly share it with you!  :)

Another Life Change .....

We have had a crazy six months here.  So much has happened in many areas in the lives of the Goodreaus, but just nothing regarding progress in our adoption.  When you first enter the adoption process it is easy to quit making plans in life because you are waiting for that little one to come home and you don’t want anything else to get in the way.  Sometimes then the wait goes on and on and on, until one day you realize that we have no control of the timing and we have to continue to do the things that God is calling us to and take the opportunities that come onto our path. 

In February of this year another life change began.   My sister and I felt God clearly calling us to step out and start an adoption agency.  The agency we have worked for and been mentored under for five years had some changes coming with our director being called to the mission field of Haiti.  When we learned of that change we felt this strong calling by God to step out and start our own agency.  Just to be clear, my first words to Anita when talking through all of this were, “I can tell you what I am not going to do, I am not going to start an agency.”   Anyone else out there know that feeling of the exact thing you tell God you are never going to do become the EXACT thing that He ends up asking you do to?  I thought I had learned never to do that, but clearly I am still a major work in progress!  After many months of paperwork we received our agency license on August 15^th.  We are now a fully licensed agency in Minnesota … Legacy Of Adoption … you can check us out at www.legacyofadoption.com.  I cannot explain why the timing of this happened the way it did, but I can say that had we had our little one home already I think I would have missed or passed on this calling to open an agency.  Scaling back in my current position to get ready for our daughter only to find that she still isn’t home, but in that ‘scaling back’ now had the time to pursue the involved steps of opening an adoption agency.  God always has each detail figured out.

Another adventure is about to begin for us.  In mid-July we came upon an old farm house acreage property that was super exciting to find.  Living on acreage is something that Chris and I have desired for many years, really our whole marriage.  When we moved into our current home 11 years ago we had put that dream to rest believing that it would never happen.  We have so enjoyed this home that God has provided for us and have not been looking for that long dreamed of property.  It has been a crazy month of figuring out if this is a good idea to pursue this property which would actually reduce our mortgage.  Our offer on the property was a long back and forth ordeal and we came to a point where we really didn’t think it was going to happen.  When all finally was approved through a purchase agreement with a contingency requiring our current house to sell we had our house on the market within a few days.  We went on the market on a Monday afternoon and by Wednesday we had an offer.  It was a week before inspections were completed and all items figured out through that process, contingencies were removed and we have closing dates on our sale and purchase set for September 30^th.  We are completely overwhelmed and so grateful for how fast this all happened.  We don’t know why we didn’t have to go through a long grueling sale but we are so thankful. 

So, more lessons on understanding that sometimes we wait, and often there can seem to be some purpose in the wait that we hadn’t been able to see prior.  We are still, at this time, planning to continue on with our adoption process in Ghana.  That is what we have come to for the moment.  We need to be sure that God is closing that door, not us.  We understand that some more changes are coming in the region that our little one is in, so we need to wait a little bit before continuing in the process.  With a move into a new home we will also have lots of paperwork to re-do.  I am pretty used to paperwork this year, feels like it is all I have done!

The Curve Ball

Waiting is hard.  It really kind of stinks actually. We have three major life changers that we are waiting on right now and we have had to exercise extreme patience in the past couple of months.  It can feel like God is trying to ‘teach us patience’ at times and I wonder does this lesson ever get learned well?  I have heard the sayings “Don’t pray for patience” or “My mom prayed for patience and God gave her my brother” … Quite honestly I don’t really believe in having to be “taught patience” what I really believe it is comes down to is learning to believe in the Lord’s best in each situation.  The real lesson for me is knowing over and over, with each day, that God is in control of this and He has a plan that requires us for the time being … to wait. 

 

We have finished yet another year of baseball.  Really my favorite time of year.  I love being at the ball field and could sit and watch baseball or softball daily.  It has been in my blood for a really long time.  Being a pitcher in days past I got to experience the fun of throwing pitches that the batter did not know were coming.  It is quite fun to throw a curve ball, change up or off speed pitch and watch the batter try and hit it.  I have vivid memories of trying not to laugh on the mound because sometimes it truly (from the pitcher’s perspective) just looks funny.  I have actually seen batters tip over trying to hit the ball that was vastly different than what they expected to come.  It has gotten me thinking that sometimes I think that God is just one of those ultimate pitchers.  He throws curve balls and has the vantage point of watching us not knowing it is coming.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe that he throws traumatic things at us to get a laugh, but in my pitcher’s mind I just think sometimes He has fun with it. 

Chris and I are in one of those moments where we have seen a few curve balls over the past several months.  We are feeling right now with this adoption process that God has a different path He may send us on and we have swung and missed a ball that He never intended for us to hit.  It is hard to remain content in the “not knowing” but we are doing our best to listen, trust and discern what He is telling us.  Please pray for us and with us about this.  We do not know if we should be changing to a different program or staying put in this program having less and less confidence that it is going to go anywhere.  We don’t want to be one of those families that “gives up” when we have so clearly been directed to where we are at and we have the face of a little girl who we have been “referred” (although we don’t yet even know if she has orphan status).  We also don’t want to continue chasing pitches that are not the ones we are supposed to hit.  

Still Waiting ...

I have started writing this post and then walked away a few times.  It is hard to know what to write when there isn’t anything new to share.  I have had several people ask me lately if we have heard anything, and unfortunately the answer is “no.”  We have connected with our Power Of Attorney in Ghana and he continues to reply that we need to be patient, and “it will happen soon.”  Love those obscure words like “soon” it can mean so many things to so many people.  To me “soon” would have already happened.  We don’t know at this point when it will happen, but still believe that God is in control and all happens in His timing.  We are currently finishing up the process to update our home study - another reminder of the length of this process.   We pray for this sweet girl in Ghana who needs her permanent family and live in the hope that Christ provides that He has not forgotten about her.   Kylie asked me a couple of days ago if we can buy her new sister a present to give her when she arrives home.  Oh yes, Kylie, that would be a perfect idea!  Can’t wait to meet this precious girl and get her home. 

Patience, Patience, Patience ....

So, word from Ghana was yet another delay.  The Social Welfare Director said he has been sick since last week so he could not finish the report.   We wait for a new date to be determined.  The positive news from the court hearing today is that our lawyer asked the judge for an “open date” which means they can return at the point all documents are ready.  Our power of attorney in Ghana keeps reassuring us that everything will be fine.  Our only choice really is to continue to practice patience and wait.  Thank you for your continued prayers.  We will certainly let you know when our next date has been set.  Please pray that will happen soon!  We are going to be running into some deadline dates with upcoming changes in the US laws with international adoptions.  We need this first court date to happen in the next couple of months.  Thanks for following us on our journey!

Another Big Day Tomorrow

 

Tomorrow is our next scheduled court date.  We are looking forward to getting to the end of the day tomorrow so that we know the outcome.  Hopeful, realistic and most of all trying desperately to grasp onto the knowledge that God is in control of all of this.  He knows what needs to happen and He knows when it needs to happen. 

One thing that can be a constant struggle on this journey of adoption is knowing and trusting that the bigger plan that we cannot see is better than the plan that we tend to want have control over how it plays out.  I mean, there is a child who is an orphan, and there is a family with open arms waiting, it should just happen right?  Why the wait?  Why can’t God just move instantly in that moment that we think is the right moment and get that child into a family?  It is just like us, in our humanness, to want things on our time and in our way.  I struggle so much with this some days when I see all of the kids in need that live in this world.  What I tend to forget is the many things that God is doing along the way that are a part of HIS plan … not MY plan.  He knows things that need to happen, and often these things are also in our best interest (or the child we are seeking to adopt) we just cannot see it when we want what we want.  Kind of reminds me of being a parent to our children.  Oh how they WANT things and we know in that moment the timing is not right for them to have what they think is best.  We know that something else needs to happen first before it is best for what they want to play out … trying to remember that today.  I have a Heavenly Father, who knows what is best and He has it all in control.   

Thank you for your continued prayers.  Please pray for this sweet girl in Ghana.  Pray that her future would be made known and that if she is able to receive a forever family that we could be that family.  We are ready, waiting and trusting that Our Father knows best.

New Court Date Scheduled

 

Well we heard just a bit ago that the court date was rescheduled as the social welfare director did not finish with the social welfare report on the child referred to us.  We are disappointed but not surprised.  We have a new date set for April 9^th …. Please keep praying!  Thank you! 

CALLING ALL PRAYER WARRIORS!!

 

Our spring break came to an end yesterday.  Today the boys returned to school, Chris returned to work and Kylie and I returned to our daily routine of household chores (laundry – yuck!) a little TV for her and work for me.  It is fun to spend time as a family and build memories.  We so look forward to those moments that we have.  Often now when we are doing things together I think about what it will be like with one more little one in the crew.  When I see the boys so tenderly helping Kylie, will they do the same for our new little sweetie?  I am confident they will and even through the tasks asked of them, or the ones they chose to do just to help, they will step up and show Christ’s love.  It is a sweet thing to see as most of you probably experience in your homes as well.  I just love to watch the transforming heart.  There is no guarantee on this journey.  No “for certain” that any of our children will grab onto the transforming gift of Christ.  What a treasure it is. 

 

We are asking for prayer in the next 36 hours.  We still have a court date scheduled in Ghana for THIS Wednesday the 19th and are asking that you pray on behalf of this little one and our family.  Please pray for God’s plan to unfold and that He would move mountains to bring permanency for this sweet little girl.  Our prayer is always first and foremost that if this is God’s plan for her that He would make it happen.  We want to be sure that she is orphaned and that the processes that need to take place are done correctly.  We don’t want our impatience to cloud any plan that God has.  We wait, we pray and we hope for great news on Wednesday.  We know that news could be that court was held and things are not in order … or they attempted court but those needed to proceed did not show up.  In each and every scenario we trust and believe that God is working through it all.  And while you are praying in the next 36 hours, could you also pray for my sister Anita’s family.  There are weeks that are really tough when you are following God and doing things He is asking.  Sometimes those tough things come in the form of an attack by the one that does not want to see healing and restoration.  Please pray for them as well … I love them so much and it is so hard when tough times hit.  We serve a mighty big GOD and I know that He loves much deeper than we can fathom.  Thanks for following our journey, sending us never ending words of encouragement and for your faithful support.  We appreciate it so much!  

Realistic Hope?

 

Chris and I were having conversation over the weekend about our upcoming court date.  We are so hopeful that things will move forward on this date and we will know for sure the next steps with the child that has been referred to us.  The problem is REALITY.  The reality is, if we look at those that have gone before us we should be prepared to have our court date cancelled several times.  How does one remain in hope, but not get very disappointed when reality happens?  Is there such a thing as realistically hopeful?  That is where we feel we are at.  We HOPE for great things and that God has big plans to make things happen, we are REALISTIC that we may have to deal with a court date that doesn’t happen …. And then we look at expectations.  We hope, with an expectation that things likely won’t happen the way we want.  But then is that even hope? 

 

What it reminds us is that this all comes down to FAITH.  I think sometimes as Christians we throw these words around and don’t really think about what they mean.  When we made the decision to adopt Kylie we choose her middle name to be Faith … we knew our journey to her was directly related to our Faith in Christ and following God’s leading.  The verse we picked for her when we dedicated her was from Hebrews 11:1 -3 & 6 … “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  This is what the ancients were commended for.  By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible … And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”

 

So … our HOPE ultimately comes from our FAITH.  Without FAITH, we cannot truly HOPE!  We can be sure of what we hope for in this situation and we have faith that God is in control of it and knows all of the details that we cannot see.  So, maybe it is realistic hope … but really it is FAITH that allows the HOPE to exist!  Please continue to pray with us for March 19^th …. Please pray that God would move on behalf of this sweet orphan in Ghana who needs a forever family, and please pray that God would allow our family to be that family for her.  The picture I chose for this post reminds me of joyful faith and hope ... our fundraiser day that was so filled with hope and faith and those that love us.  Thank you so much for your love and support … we are honored that you are following our journey and appreciate your prayers so much!

We have a COURT DATE!!!

 

Chris was working with his iTunes on the computer this morning when our email tone sounded … and it was from Ghana!  I don’t believe we have ever gotten an email over the weekend so typically what happens is after we go through half of the day on Friday we adjust our expectations to not hear anything until (at the earliest) Monday night or Tuesday.  So, to get a message today was a bit of a shock.  WE HAVE  A COURT DATE!!!  We know that likely things will be canceled, or continued due to someone not showing up so we hesitantly move forward knowing that this could be canceled.  But for today, we REJOICE that we have a date to look forward to.  It is amazing how much you don’t realize how you are feeling about it all until that news comes in.  The floodgates open and a feeling of relief comes over you.  For those of you that have waited for their adoption to progress you know that feeling … the constant need to check your email just in case the email you were waiting for came in within the past five minutes since the last time you checked.  Thank you Lord for this wonderful news today!   Please continue to pray as we look forward to March 19^th … and hope that this day will bring more news.  Please pray for this sweet Ghana girl that needs a forever family.  Thank you for your prayers.  We so appreciate them.