Roller Coaster

International adoption is

a real roller coaster ride!  

All I can say right now is that God is doing some amazing work on our hearts, teaching us patience and faith and all sorts of other things that we apparently are 

not yet perfect at!

Please pray for our process to go smoothly in the next few weeks.  Pray for the boys.  I feel like they really need a lot of prayer right now, so if you feel led to pray, pray for the boys.  We are praying that God will guide us step-by-step and that He will be in total control of every moment of this adoption process.  He loves these kids so much more than I ever could (and I love them a crazy lot!) so I totally trust Him with this.  I don't always understand, but I trust Him.  

We bought our tickets today!

We are really going!

In eighteen days we are going to be hurtling though the air across the ocean in order to give some great big hugs that have been a long time coming.  This sweet little pumpkin has been waiting long enough for a mommy and daddy of his own, don't you think?

Travel Plans!

We have travel plans!  We are going to be leaving December 26th to be in our son's country for a December 28th appointment!  We are going to meet our little boy!  It is really going to happen . . . and SOON!

So much to do . . . so many plans to make . . . 

shopping, 

packing, 

paperwork, 

prepare and freeze meals, 

finish photo books, 

collect donations for the institution, 

learn Russian,

finish sewing the kids' Christmas gifts,

finalize plans for the kids while we are away,

get Isaac's home school organized and written out 

for "the sub" (my mom),

stock up on duck food, rabbit food, goat food, hay, etc,

scrub and organize this house from stem to stern,

squeeze as many hugs and cuddles as I can 

into the next two weeks

(I am going to miss these kids 

SO MUCH . . . it hurts already!)

But soon . . . very VERY soon . . . we will all be together!

And that is what this is all about.

Our family will all be together soon!

Praise the Lord!

A Lady Who Loved The Lord

I was reading today about "Grandma Holt."  Bertha Holt, and her husband Harry, were farmers in the 1950s, raising their six biological children in Oregon.  Then in December 1954, Harry and Bertha watched a documentary film showing children in Korean orphanages after the Korean War.  The images stirred both of their hearts.  First the couple sent money to help the orphans.  And even though they felt they had done all they could, they could not forget about those waiting children.  The money would provide them some food and clothing.  But what the children needed even more was a family.  They needed somebody to love them.  


This is the part I found especially fascinating.  You see, "international adoption" barely existed at that point in history.  There was not a page full of adoption agencies in the phone book to call up to get the process started, because it had almost never been done!  And yet Harry and Bertha both, separately, felt that the Lord was giving them a clear message:  "Go!  Adopt!  Love my children."  As Bertha tells it, Harry announced, "I think we ought to adopt some of these children."  And she told him she felt the same way.  Then Harry asked her, "How many do you think we could take care of?"  Bertha considered the question and told him, "I suppose we could care for six of the Korean war orphans."  And it was Harry's response that is my favorite of all:  "Oh my, we have plenty of room for eight, or ten, or even more."  Love this guy!


So they decided on eight children, and wasted no time in writing to Washington DC to start the adoption process.  They were informed, however, that they would be allowed to adopt only two children from Korea.  They stood firm in their belief that they were being called to adopt eight.  Impossible, they were told.  The only way that could possibly happen would be to convince both houses of Congress to change the current adoption laws.  The Holts did not take that as a closed door.  They took it as a to-do list!  They petitioned Congress.  They wrote lots of letters.  They rallied for support.  They prayed.  Then, before Congress had even made a decision, Harry packed his bags and headed to Korea to search for their eight children.  Talk about faith, right?  He felt that God would lead him to four little boys and four little girls that were to be his children, and he did not want to be away from them a moment longer than necessary!  


Bertha stayed home to run the farm, care for their six children, and wait for God to work a miracle in Congress.  And in just two short months, special legislation was introduced in the Senate and "The Holt Bill" was unanimously passed allowing the Holts permission to bring eight Korean orphans into the US.  When photographers and reporters requested an interview, Bertha told them, "Oh, we're not nice looking.  And I'm only a farmer's wife.  But the children will be home from haying around five."  


Meanwhile, Harry had searched the orphanages for the children he felt the Lord had in mind for them.  He confided to his wife in a letter, "I don't allow myself to get too wrapped up in the cute, fat ones.  They're the babies others will want.  I want the kids that look frightened and lost.  I just wish I could take all of them."  He selected eight children and took them to his hotel room to care for them while waiting on Congress.

He began to get to know his new little blessings and spent his days caring for them, but little Judy, weighing less than ten pounds, was too weak and sick, and she went to be with the Lord before ever making it to America.  


Finally Harry arrived home with the children, and Time magazine covered the story.  The magazine article described Bertha rocking a pair of babies to sleep the first night home as "a picture of contentment."  

The Holts received a lot of criticism from the public for this adoption.  In the 1950s, adoption was supposed to be a secret!  At that time, agencies took great care to match a child to a family based on hair color, eye color, skin color, etc, so that nobody would ever know the child had not been born to those parents.  The fact that the Holts brought home children from Korea, and EIGHT of them, and the fact that they were so open about the adoption, caused many Americans to do one of two things:  criticize, or re-examine their own ideas regarding adoption.  After all, the Holts all loved each other EVEN THOUGH they didn't all look alike!  The Holts found time to nurture a houseful of little ones all at the same time.  Harry and Bertha, a simple farmer and his simple wife, had changed history.  

Harry and Bertha soon received hundreds of letters from parents across the country asking how they, too, could adopt Korean war orphans.  Those letters inspired the beginning of Holt International Children's Services, which is now the largest international adoption agency in the world.  And even after Harry died, Grandma Holt felt led to carry on the ministry of Holt International.  She said, "This work was always God's work.  If He wants it to continue,  it will."  Because of her unshakable faith and her deep love for children, just think how many children are now a part of a loving forever family!  When asked how she would like to be remembered, Bertha replied, "That lady who loved the Lord."  And what better way to remember her?  

(quotes from My Family, A Symphony by Aaron Eske, and www.holtinternational.org)

I Can Do All Things

The next time you feel like God can't use you, 

just remember........

Abraham was too old.

Joseph was abused.

Moses wasn't a fluent speaker.

Gideon was afraid.

Rahab was a prostitute.

Jeremiah and Timothy were too young.

David had an affair and was a murderer.

Elijah was suicidal.

Jonah ran from God.

Naomi was a widow.

Job went bankrupt.

John the Baptist ate bugs.

Peter denied Christ.

The Deciples fell asleep while praying

Mary Magdalene was demon posessed.

The Samaritan Woman was divorced..... more than once.

Paul was "too religious" to see the truth.

Lazarus was DEAD!!!!!!

......... no more excuses now.  God is waiting to use you to your full potential!!

(I'm not sure who wrote this first, but it is so true!)

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!

Philippians 4:13

Prayers and Blessings

My Prayers Today:

• That somebody would hug Gideon and Micah today.
• That somebody would smile at them.
• That their tummies are full.
• That the Lord would whisper into their ears, "Soon, little one, very soon," and that He would wrap them in His peace.
• That we would get an update on the status of both of these boys before we travel.
• That we would get a travel date.  

My Blessings Today:

• Cozy home out of the cold, drizzly rain.
• Fridge full of good food for my family (and freezer full of nice home-cooked meals ready to be cooked for my kids while we are traveling.)
• Three sweet cuddly children who never complain about my off-key singing and never get tired of hearing stories read aloud to them.
• Hubby has steady work and rushes home from work every day, changes out of his sopping wet clothes, and then rushes into the living room to get mobbed by his adoring fans.
• My favorite new neighbors, a.k.a. my wonderful parents, who are currently living in their RV in our driveway, ready to swoop in and take over the care and feeding of my children whenever we get a travel date (not to mention the farm animals, housework, homeschooling, and extracurriculars!)
• Still having trouble even comprehending this one.  We have been trying to juggle numbers to figure out how to cover travel costs to and from our boys' country.  Three round trip adult tickets (first trip times two parents, second trip for me, two one-way child tickets.)  Well, today I got a phone call.  There is a lovely lady who wants to pay for all of our airline tickets.  They are paid for!  BLESSINGS just isn't a big enough word!  This is amazing!  And the most amazing part of all?  I have never met this dear woman.  She heard about us through some wonderful friends from church, and she wanted to do something real.  And this?  This is real!  Two real live little boys will, God willing, be home very soon because a faithful daughter of God chose to make LOVE a VERB today.  I am just in awe!  Our God is an awesome God!  

Praying for News

Praying for news . . . We are waiting . . . there are so many lovely families waiting on news from the country that we are adopting from.  Rumors abound.  Could they be true?  Could news be coming soon?  Could adoptions start moving again in the near future?  We are just waiting for an update.  Waiting on a travel date.

Praying.  Hoping.  Preparing.  

Dreaming.  Packing.  Waiting.  

Hang on, dear little boys.  

Mommy and Daddy are coming for you.  

Today is Their Day (?)

Today is Orphan Sunday.  Not really feeling much joy in reporting that my *future* *hopeful* sons are still orphans.  Wish they were here.  Longing for my boys so much today.  


(Yes, we are hoping to adopt another little boy in addition to Gideon, but no, we are not yet free to post his photo or identity publicly.  Sure wish we could!)


You may know that our adoption process is at a stand-still currently.  (Or if you didn't, then you do now!)  Our boys' country is undergoing some pretty major changes in their government, and reorganizing their entire adoption process.  This takes some time.  Perhaps lots of time.  And some of the rules are probably going to change in the process.  Which ones?  We don't know yet.  Will our boys still be available for adoption once everything is ready to go again?  We don't know yet.  We may need to submit new paperwork.  Which papers?  We don't know yet.  How much more will this cost?  We don't know yet.  How long of a delay will this cause?  You got it . . . we don't know yet.  


So for the last few weeks we've only had the above information.  Which really stinks!  Well, we got somewhat of an update on our adoption process today.  Finally, right?  How exciting, right?  Except really the update is:  No new news.  Keep on waiting.  How long?  Nobody knows.  We know that no families are being given travel dates at this point, and who knows how long until things may start moving again.  Yuck.  Happy Orphan Sunday.  


This is Orphan Sunday.  Apparently the one day each year that the church sets aside their busy schedules for a moment to remember the orphans.  You know, the ones Jesus commanded the church to care for?  Just seems like if we are the body of Christ, then shouldn't every day be Orphan Sunday, or Orphan Monday, or Orphan Tuesday?  Really?  They just get one day?  All 147 million of them, and they get this one day.  Well, anyway, I hope the church really made it count!  All I know is, my boys are still there, and we are still waiting.  


Recently I heard something said in a movie, "The Grace Card."  (Great movie, by the way!)  One of the characters said something like, "Sitting in church on Sunday morning, that's like the locker room.  It's just a pep talk.  The rest of the week?  That's the game."  You think?  

So if you missed Orphan Sunday, that's okay!  You can make tomorrow Orphan Monday!  You can make every day Orphan Day.  You can pray for an orphan.  You can donate to an orphan's adoption fund.  You can do a fundraiser for an orphan.  You can donate time to an orphan.  You can share an orphan's story with others.  You can support a family who is adopting, or has adopted an orphan.  You can consider adopting an orphan yourself!  You don't need to save it for just this one day each year.  147 million kids are waiting, each and every moment of each and every day, waiting to see whether anybody in the whole wide world will love them.  And Jesus commanded us to care for them.  

What do you say, church?  

"I'd like to ask God why He lets 

poverty and injustice exist,

why there are so many orphans,

and why He does nothing about it,

but I am afraid He would ask me

the same question."

~unknown source

Bethany

This little girl is Bethany:

Bethany is waiting for her forever family

in Eastern Europe.

She has Osteogenesis Imperfecta,

 also known as Brittle Bone Disease.

She has spent much of her life in a hospital.

She has had multiple broken bones in her lifetime.

Until recently, she was not even able to sit up.

Yet despite all of this, she is a sparkling jewel

of a little girl, incredibly bright and clever,

and ready to share her sweet smile

with anyone who has time for her.

But really, who better to tell you about Bethany

than Bethany herself?

Here is an awesome video about this little love:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUqdzhFYzOw&feature=channel_video_title

True, it is all in Russian, but just watch this little girl and see her sparkle!  Below are some excerpts from the video:

-          The journalist is calling her “Sweet little dove”, she says seriously “ Why you are calling me Dove? I am not a dove, my name is "Bethany"”

-          The journalist is asking her “ Do you like to sit in a armchair?”, she responds “ Of course, I like it. It is very convenient in general. You just need to put an extra roller for the back in order your back not to be curved”

-          The journalist is telling to the camera about "Bethany's" medical condition and she comments “ Oh…I understand everything what you are saying here about me…yes…it is truth!”

- When being asked to introduce herself, she is saying " My name is "Bethany" and I am very smart"

- The journalist is asking her " Are your eyes being bothered by the camera's light?", she responds " No, because the light is pointing directly to my nose".

Bethany is an amazing child.  

Here is her profile from Reece's Rainbow:

(http://reecesrainbow.org/15506/bethany)

Bethany 15H

December 2006
Osteogenesis Imperfecta
melx-15

From volunteers who met her:  This radiant girl lives in a Russian orphanage. She suffers from OI, Group 3. She was bedridden for the most of her life; until she was almost 4 years old she could not sit and could not turn over. She had multiple bones broken by simply moving around in bed. Only one year ago volunteers found her in a cast from head to toe. They have begun raising money for her rehabilitation in the American Medical Center in Moscow. As a result, she is now sitting vertically first time in her life. The first time she was able to look out the window, she saw the bleak Moscow landscape of late November and there was no limit for her joy! She takes such pleasure in being able to see that the street cleaning guy has a “soft” hat and that birds are “fuzzy .” Despite having such a handicapped childhood, Bethany is unbelievably bright. At three and a half she knew all colors, 1 to 10 numbers, could recite many children rhymes, and she has a perfect music pitch! According to the nurses, Bethany radiates positivism and humor to such degree that children from the hospital gather in her room for a good laugh, a song, or a story. When it was time for her to leave the hospital and to part with the nurses, she broke down crying for the first time, despite all the physical pain of the hospital procedures. She desperately wants to belong, to be part of a family.

Update Sept 2011:  Bethany is extremely bright child…despite of the orphanage environment, her mental development is far beyond her age group. You should see how she responds to the questions and how she comments…she is so funny and so cheerful. She can sit without a help, but she is still not walking.

 

More information and a video from June 2011 is available for interested families.  More pictures available.  Potential families must have good medical coverage and be comfortable financially.

 

$9585.30 is available towards the cost of my adoption!

Bethany has been waiting for so long for a family to choose her.  Well, here is some good news that might help:  

1.  Did you see her grant?  People who love sweet Bethany have donated nearly $10,000 to her adoption grant!

2.  Read this glowing report, written last year by volunteers who worked with Bethany (referred to as "Rita" in these quotes):

What our volunteers said about Rita

“Rita sat for the first time in her life! Finally! She sat for ten whole minutes. It made me cry. Imagine, she finally saw things that she had never seen before – falling leaves, a yard-keeper outside. She noticed that his hat was “soft”. Rita is now more mobile. She is crawling in her playpen and can move her legs. She is not afraid to roll over!”

“You've got to believe us, she is not only the most advanced of all the orphans we have ever seen, she is a true genius! She talks non-stop and knows a lot of things that even “regular” children her age don't know.”

“Rita recited me a poem and I told her a story about two silly hamsters. She asked me why the hamsters were laughing and immediately answered that question herself. “Because they are kind and silly, and because they got their grain stash!” When it was time to go, I hugged her and she said that my hair was “tickly”

3.  Sweet Bethany has made huge gains since the last report was written!  Check out the latest update:

Doctors at the European Medical Center have presented Bethany with a wheelchair, and Bethany moves herself on that wheelchair very dexterously, turning wheels with her little hands.
Bethany plays in a hospital’s playroom with a boy, the same age and OI stage 3 as Bethany, however that boy is walking, and Bethany is not. The only difference between them is that Bethany is an orphan, and boy is staying at the hospital with his Mom. The staff of the orphanage loves Bethany dearly but they can not substitute family’s effort to make a child walk.
The most ground-breaking news: Bethany CAN STAND now! She can stand without anybody’s help, holding bed’s post! Just imagine how happy Bethany was standing first time by herself on the floor! Hopefully, around New Year holidays, Bethany could start walking using orthoses, splints or walkers…
The personnel of the orphanage, who loves Rita very much and greets Rita every morning as their most beloved and important boss, already prepared a pair of special beautiful little shoes!
Bethany has a new nanny; today is nanny’s first day, but she already is under spell of our Asian princess’s charm.
Nanny says that Bethany is extremely smart and that is why it is so easy for Bethany to master geometrical forms, drawing, counting and so on: today they practiced counting backwards.
Currently Bethany can sit and turn in bed, can stand: her bones and back muscles are stronger, her legs are longer, she is growing rapidly, and, consequently, her body deformations are less severe.

If you would like to learn more about OI, check out this website:  http://www.oif.org/site/PageServer
Bethany could have a long and wonderful life!  Yes, she will have broken bones.  Yes, she will be in pain at times.  This is true for her whether she remains an orphan or is adopted.  But how much sweeter could her life be if she had a mommy and daddy to shower her with hugs and kisses, to sing to her, to gaze into her eyes and tell her that she is a precious jewel, loved unconditionally, created in the image of God?  

I believe that somewhere out there, there is a family who has a place in their hearts for this sparkling gem of a girl.  There must be!  She is so precious.  Here are the requirements for adopting from her region:

Region 15 – General Information

• 2-3 trips 
• 1st trip, Both parents for 5-7 days
• Wait 2-3 months for court
• Both parents travel for 2nd trip, one can leave after 4 days
• 10-day waiting period is NOT waived for special needs
• Only one parent would need to return after the 10-day wait
• Up to 8 children in the home if the family income is sizeable (the adopted child being the 8th child)
• Both parents must be younger than 60 years
• EASY TRAVEL IN-COUNTRY
• Fee includes orphanage donation
• Married couples and single mothers may apply
• Un-related children may not be adopted simultaneously
• Total program and travel fees approx $35-40K

And if you are a real fan of this little darling, here is one more video clip.  This one is from last year, June 2010.  This kid is CUTE!  

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=181653795180872

She is funny.  She is sweet.  She is a smart little 

cracker-jack.  She is tough.  She is determined.  She can accomplish amazing, wonderful things, if only someone will give her the chance.  She is adored by her caretakers.  She desperately longs for a family to choose her.  Please consider Bethany!  Share her story.  Donate to her account.  Pray for her family to find her, and to find out who they've been missing!

A Box of Joy

You have probably heard of Operation Christmas Child, right?  If not, it's an opportunity to fill a shoe box with gifts for a child who otherwise may not receive gifts for Christmas.  The boxes are shipped by Samaritan's Purse, an amazing ministry organization, all over the world, and presented to children who own very little.  In the hands of that child, it is a box of joy!  


Isaac was so excited to spend his hard-earned allowance on gifts to fill a shoebox this year.  He had a blast shopping, and trying to get the most for his money!  Now his only problem is trying to figure out how to cram all that good stuff into one tiny box!  


And because Isaac wants to be a movie-maker IS a movie-maker, he made the following video to share his ideas for how to pack a shoebox:  

Isaac is hoping and praying that this box may find it's way into the hands of one of his new brothers in Eastern Europe.  I think as he shopped he was picturing the box being opened by Gideon or Micah.  Stranger things have happened, I suppose, but I told him there are lots and LOTS of other kids who need a box, too.  All over the world!  And besides, HOPEFULLY his new brothers will be coming HOME right around then, and we can just shower them with gifts right here!  He is cool with that!  :)

Costume Party

Isaac's Cub Scout pack had a Harvest Party, and the kids all dressed up:

Isaac was SO EXCITED to win the Scout's Choice Award for his costume!
He found the cheeseburger at a thrift store and then he worked so hard to figure out
how to make a root beer hat and french fry shoes.
Oh, and it wouldn't be complete without ketchup and mustard!
Silly boy!

Josiah dug through our dress-up bin to come up with this winning look:
monkey jacket, frog feet, tie, and sunglasses.  Makes total sense, right?

And Gracie?  She's been going back and forth for the last month between princess and pink kitty cat.
So what's this?  All of a sudden she was a duck.  And there was no changing her mind.
Never mind the pink kitty ears and tail mommy made!
Never mind the swishy pink gown and tiara.
She found this duck outfit at the bottom of the dress-up bin.
I don't think the kids have even tried this outfit on in a couple of years.
It's always just sort of forgotten.
But today Gracie discovered the duck!
She loves the duck.
If it's a duck she wants to be, then a duck she shall be!
She's quacking in the picture (of course!)

SUBMITTED!

We were submitted today!  Which basically means that our huge packet of paperwork has been translated and submitted to the government of our boys' country.  So now . . . . we wait.  Some more.  Normally being submitted is a huge, exciting, pack-your-bags-get-ready-to-leave-at-a-moment's-notice type of announcement.  But not right now.  This country is not issuing travel dates right now.  Their government is in the midst of restructuring their adoption department, and everybody's paperwork, once submitted, is being held until the restructuring is complete and the new adoption department gets up and running.  We are being told it is likely to be December when they give us an appointment in their country.  Not all that much longer.  It just seems like it right now.  Because these little loves

are really starting to wonder if their new brothers will ever be home.  Poor little Josiah was getting pretty upset about it last night.  He looked like he was about to cry when he said, "Mom, are my new brothers EVER going to come home?  Cuz' I don't think they are ever really going to come.  They're not coming, Mom!  They are never coming, are they?"  

You have to understand that my kids have already lost siblings more than once . . . we have tried to adopt through foster care three times, and all three times those kids have ended up being moved to go back to biological families.  Their last loss was perhaps the worst.  Their two-year-old foster sister, whom they all adored, was moved very abruptly to return to her birth mother after we had been told for months that she would soon be free for adoption.  While we had never promised our kids that she would be their "forever sister," they talked about it constantly and assumed that she would stay.  We all did.  And when she left, our kids really grieved.  They still miss her so much.  

While our kids are very excited to get their new brothers home, and especially excited that they will be FOREVER BROTHERS and not brothers that might have to move out at any time, they are definitely feeling the stress of the uncertainty right now.  They are hesitant to even talk about the boys lately, it seems.  "Are they really coming, Mom?"  "Mom, if Gideon really comes . . ."  I hear these things all the time.  And truly, I cannot promise them anything yet.  They do know that at this point, we are HOPING to adopt these boys.  They are aware that plans could still change.  We could still be told that these boys are no longer available for adoption.  There is no reason to think that will happen, but it could.  So I have had to make sure the kids know that, too.  Because their hearts have already been broken too many times.  

Once the brothers are home, I think it will be such a relief for them to KNOW that this is different.  That this time they can really bond completely.  This time they won't have to guard their hearts.  This time there will be no social worker showing up to take their brothers back to "the other mom."  Very soon, we will know.  Very soon, we will be able to tell them, "These are your brothers forever."  But right now, the uncertainty.  It is hard to guide them through this.  It is hard for all of us.

This little guy has been on my heart for awhile now.  

Look at his little face!  

How sweet, right?  

No, this is not my Gideon, although I have to say he does look a lot like my boy!  This is Igor.  Igor is waiting in eastern Europe, in Gideon's country.  Waiting in an institution.  Yep, he's already been transferred.  Just like my Gideon.  But unlike Gideon, he's still waiting.  Waiting to be chosen.  Waiting to be discovered, scooped up, and smothered in kisses.  Waiting for much-needed therapy and surgeries.  Waiting for a chance to show what he is capable of.  Waiting for a chance to shine.  Waiting for somebody to love him.  Just as he is.  


From his Reece's Rainbow profile:

BOY, Born November 26, 2004

HELP, I'VE ALREADY BEEN TRANSFERRED!

This handsome young man is another of a growing number of children who were born with arthrogryposis. 

His hands seem to be unaffected, but he is unable to walk at this time.  He is described as very loving and affectionate and friendly! 

Igor is facing the institution and will remain bedridden for the rest of his life…he needs a family like you!

Donations will be accepted for this child when further information is received.

 Igor looks like such a spunky, bright little guy.  Can you imagine him bedridden?  For the rest of his life?  He is about to turn seven years old.  He ought to be in first grade.  He ought to be the light of some mommy and daddy's life.  He ought to be free to blossom and grow.  


Many of you are probably already familiar with www.covenantbuilders.blogspot.com, the awesome adoption blog of the Nalle family.  If you haven't discovered their blog yet, I encourage you to visit!  Their adorable little boy, Aaron, also has arthrogryposis, and he was adopted from the same country last year.  So as you look at little Igor, almost seven years old and waiting for his mommy and daddy to find him, I encourage you to consider Aaron, the shining precious jewel that the Nalle family has been blessed with.  Just imagine Igor.  How he could shine with the love of a family.  How mightily a family could be blessed by adopting this little boy.  


Almost seven years old.  Too old?  I don't think so!  Igor is very loving!  He is affectionate and friendly.  And he is so precious.  Donations cannot be made to his fund yet.  This is because not enough information has been received about him yet.  And with no grant fund, I worry that he will be that much more likely to be overlooked.  But it is certainly possible for a family to inquire about him.  He needs a family.  He has already been waiting for so long.


I wonder about Igor.  Would he be a cuddle-bug, or a busy explorer?  Would he love music, or art, or telling knock-knock jokes?  Can you imagine him in Cub Scouts, or singing praise songs at church every Sunday?  Would he love animals?  Or cars?  Or dinosaurs?  Would he love to listen to the same story again and again?  Nobody knows.  And that is the thing.  Nobody knows who this little guy was created to be.  He is waiting, patiently waiting, for somebody to come and find out. He is a treasure, waiting to be discovered.  I am praying for the family lucky enough to be his.  

Out Of Our Hands

Our dossier is complete.  It has been notarized.  Checked for accuracy.  Cried over.  Redone.  Double checked.  Apostilled.  Triple checked. Prayed over.  Boxed up.  Weighed.  Addressed.  And shipped to Eastern Europe.  Goodbye dossier!  It is out of our hands!    

Most of you reading this blog know exactly what I'm talking about, because you've been there!  For those of you not so painfully familiar with the international adoption journey, the dossier is a great big old stack of documents detailing every single aspect of our lives:  financial, medical, professional, personal, etc.  There are multiple background checks.  There are in-depth summaries of our entire lives.  There are letters of petition, letters of obligation, letters for name declarations, letters for interpol clearance, letter of home ownership, letter of employment, letters about everything!  There are multiple copies of multiple personal documents for both Derek and I.  Why do they need four copies of each of our passports?  Each notarized and apostilled, at $15 per document?  Who knows.  We do it because it's on the list.  And then there are copies of the licenses for all the professionals who contributed documents to the dossier.  Our doctor's medical license.  Our social worker's license.  The agency's license.  I'm telling you, this dossier is a triumph!  A beautiful mountain of completed paperwork!  It represents hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of document requests, apostilling, translation, and shipping fees.  It represents months worth of phone calls, appointments, begging, pleading, letter writing, typing, printing, sitting in the notary's office at the bank, and waiting.  Lots of waiting.

And it is finally out of our hands.

Whew!  I feel lighter.

So now we wait some more.  It took so much longer than we had hoped it would.  There were so many delays.  A month here.  A week there.  A few days here.  It all added up.  But I know that we personally did not waste a single day.  From the day we committed to adopting Gideon, not a single day has been squandered on our part.  If there was something to be done, we have done it.  If there was somebody to call and pester and nag politely remind and make inquiries, I have called.  These delays have all been due to waiting on other people.  It has been SO FRUSTRATING, but we have trusted God every step of the way, prayed through every delay, and never wasted an opportunity to move things forward.  If it meant dropping everything to drive for hours to pick up a document the day it was completed, we have done it.  If it meant Derek taking a day off work that we can scarcely afford, we have done it.  We have done what we can.  

And now we are really trying to trust the Lord.  Because honestly, we may be too late.  The fact that this dossier was not sent two or three weeks ago could mean months more waiting for our children.  There are deadlines looming in the country we are adopting from, and it looks as though we may have just missed those deadlines.  But we are trusting God.  His plan is to give these boys a future and a hope.  He has a good plan for them!  He has not forgotten them.  And so we are trusting.  

Nobody seems to know for sure whether these deadlines are really going to happen or not.  Nobody seems to know how long the shutdown may last, if it is actually implemented.  Nobody seems to know when we may be invited to travel.  Nobody seems to know if our boys are okay.  So much is uncertain right now.  But God knows.  

Please pray for our process, and for the processes of so many other families currently in a similar situation as ours.  So many families waiting.  So many children waiting.  Please pray for miracles and good news from our children's country!     

And let me leave with you some sweet pictures from the pumpkin patch: