Referrals!!!!!

We have our referrals!  God is blessing us with two beautiful little girls, ages 4 and 5 years old!  We are so excited.  I keep having to pinch myself to check that it is really happening.  I have waited so long for this, that the reality of it still seems dream like.  We originally were thinking that the Lord would bless us with a son and a daughter under the age of 3.  But His ways are so much better than ours.  We know that these sweet girls are the children the Lord planned for us.  It is amazing how one can look at the picture of a child and just know.  Thank you for all your prayers.

Created For Care Conference

I want to spread the news of a wonderful adoption conference just for moms.  It is called Created for Care and will be held in Atlanta, GA January 27th-29th.  Registration begins September 1st.  If you are interested sign up quickly as they sold out in the first 48 hours last year.
You can find more information at   www.createdforcare.org

Hope to see you there!

We're Back!

We have taken the last couple of months off from blogging to enjoy our summer together.  We were blessed to take a wonderful vacation to Disney World.  It was a fun and relaxing.  We were even able to spend a few days with my aunt, uncle and cousin at Disney.  They spoiled the girls rotten, and we all loved every minute of it!.

We have also made some big changes around here.  After homeschooling the girls for the last two years, we felt God's leading to enroll them in a private school in our area.  It was an agonizing decision, but we are very pleased.  They girls have been in school for the last two weeks and are loving it!  I am missing them, but I haven't slowed down one bit. 

In adoption news, we are still on the waitlist.  Hopefully we will be matched soon.  I know our agency is working hard for both the children and the parents.

I will leave you with a "Gotcha Day" video.  It is the first one we ever saw, the one that turned our hearts toward Africa.  Get the kleenex ready!

Today my heart is breaking.

Today my heart is breaking.  It has been such a hard day.  I feel scared and overwhelmed and angry.  I want to do more than I already am... I just don't know what that is.  Last Wednesday as I celebrated my birthday and enjoyed a day of shopping with my girls, children on the other side of the world were forced to do unspeakable acts of evil.  Evil became a very real presence in their lives, and they will be forever altered.  Though  I say unspeakable we have a responsibility to speak up on their behalf.  If we don't tell their story, who will?

Tonight, with tears flowing I told their story to my Bible study.  It was hard, it was uncomfortable, it almost felt awkward speaking about it, but I had to.  God pressed it on my heart and wouldn't let me go.

James 1:26 says this, :Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."  These children were made orphans in an instant by the evil acts of others.  It is up to us to find a way to care for them.  We have to let them know that they have a Father in heaven that loves them and cares for them.  We have to show them the Father's love.

Please read their story here. Pray for these children, and ask God what he would have you do.

I will leave you with this video.  I heard this on my way to Bible study tonight.  Just another way of God confirming that I need to speak up and not remain silent.

Lord, break my heart with what breaks yours.

Love,

Karen

Orphan Summit Pre-Summit Event

   Come to this event if you can!

If you are planning to attend the Orphan Summit being held in Louisville this week, consider attending this event.

On the Waitlist!

We have had a lot going on these past few weeks.  We finally received our immigration approval, submitted our dossier to One World and have been place on the waitlist.  John ran his marathon well and was pleased with his time.  We raised a little over $2000 in support through his marathon.  Thank you to all that have supported us financially and prayerfully.  We have a lot of money yet to raise, but I know that God will supply our needs because He has called us to this journey of adoption.  I am hoping to see pictures of our precious children very soon!  Can't wait!

I will soon post about an event for adoptive moms in conjunction with the Orphan Summit in Louisville.  It is just around the corner.  I am planning on attending the summit, and it will be my first.  I am looking forward to learning much and being encouraged by others serving God through helping orphans around the world. 

More to come!

I will not leave you as orphans...

My husband, John, is running the Louisville Marathon and is raising support for our adoption.  Please read his letter below and consider supporting him and help us bring our children home.
Thanks,
Karen

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”  John 14:18

“I want to adopt.”  That’s what Karen said to me over 10 years ago after our first miscarriage.  However, I was completely closed to the idea; it just wasn’t for me.

Adoption wasn’t a bad thing, in fact, I thought it was great that others were willing to adopt children who needed a home, but I had a list of reasons why it just wasn’t something that I was comfortable with.  The reasons were logical, and they were real to me, but in the end they were a front for the attitude of my heart that just wasn’t open to raising kids that weren’t really mine.

One more miscarriage, and then God blessed us with Olivia!  Praise God, the miscarriages were over. . . or so we thought.  But even after two more miscarriages (total of four) I still was no more open to adopting than the first time that Karen mentioned it several years before.  Thankfully, Karen and I had agreed that we would not adopt unless we were both in agreement, after all it was a big decision.  So I was off the hook . . . as long as I said, “No,” then it wasn’t going to happen.

I’m sure I’ll never really understand how hard this was for Karen!  But she knew that she couldn’t change my mind and so we didn’t really talk about it.  If marriage is about one thing, it is unity . . .  two becoming one!  Karen’s desire for unity was so strong that she even prayed that God would take away her desire for more children, so that we would be unified.  Karen prayed this prayer for years . . . many years!  But God never took her desire away.

Then one year I heard about a new book that Russell Moore had written called Adopted for Life.  I had heard Dr. Moore speak before and really liked him, so I mentioned his book to Karen when she asked me for things I might like for my birthday (2009).  Karen bought it for me, and I read it in about 24 hours . . . I just couldn’t put it down.  By the end of the second chapter it was over . . . I wanted to adopt . . . NOW!  God had grabbed my heart and opened my eyes to what it meant to be adopted and that He had adopted me into His family!  How could I not share that love with others in return?

            The last 18 months have been a journey . . . we were open to anything . . .  almost able to adopt a newborn from Kentucky . . . we also looked into other domestic opportunities and just about anything overseas.  We looked at Europe and Asia.  The need is great in so many places.  Then one day Karen’s friend passed on another friend’s blog about adopting from Africa.  Nothing had been certain up until this point, but now in the span of a couple of minutes we had complete unity that Africa is where God was sending us to find the rest of the children that He is giving to us.

God orchestrated multiple circumstances to move our hearts to adopt two children from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  The DRC, formerly Zaire, is the most war-torn country in the world since the end of World War II.  And the fighting still rages on today.  Of the 147 million orphans in the world today, 5 million of them are in this one country alone!  Orphans make up 15% of the country’s under-18 year-old population!  Ten percent of the children born in the DRC will not see their first birthday.  Children die four times faster in the DRC than in the rest of Africa as a whole.  If things do not change, then over 515 out of every 1000 children will die before the age of five.  That’s more than HALF who will never turn five!

The need is GREAT . . .  and the price is high.  But how do you value a life?  How do you value two lives???  We believe that bringing two orphans into our home, to be our children, to raise them with a love equal in every respect to the love that we have for our two biological children, is worth every penny!  And now I see clearly that these children we adopt will be ours, REALLY  OURS!  They won’t just be someone else’s kids who happen to live in my house and who I happen to be caring for.  Their African heritage will be honored in our household, but it will not in any way reduce the fact that they will be full-fledged, 100% members of the Piwetz family.  Both heritages will be fully theirs, and neither will diminish the other.

On April 30^th I will be running the Derby Marathon in Louisville, KY to help raise the money necessary to bring home two precious children from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  I have run two marathons before in order to raise money to help support other families that are adopting . . . one family that we knew and one that we did not know.  This time, however, I’m running 26.2 miles for two children who will be our own!  Never has the goal of any race I have run been so great for me personally, and Karen and I would be honored if you would be willing to partner with us through your prayers and financial support.

One day soon we will board a plane . . . we will go much farther than 26.2 miles . . . for much more than a medal to put around my neck . . . we will gather two orphans into our arms and bring them into a place they have never known . . . their own HOME!

And while our adoption journey will have ended, another even greater journey will have just begun, the journey of a lifetime  . . .

            Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

                        John & Karen

“Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you . . . Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you . . . bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

       - Isaiah 43:4-7

Shots, fingerprints, and good news!

We had our first round of shots last Wednesday at the U of L Travel Clinic.  If anyone is in the Louisville area I highly recommend it.  The staff is very informative and helpful.  We went in to our appointment knowing we would have to get a yellow fever vaccine, but came out with 5 shots and pills to take!  Ouch!  Fortunately we have had no side effects, which we were very surprised.  About 30% of people have some reaction to the yellow fever vaccine.  Our arms are a little sore, and I am sporting a few bruises, but otherwise no problems.

We also had our biometric (fingerprinting) appointment with Immigration on Wednesday.  John was scheduled on Wed. at 3pm and I was scheduled on Thurs. at 8am.  We were frustrated because we had to travel an hour each way to get to Louisville and did not want to make two trips.  We asked our Bible study group and friends to pray that John and I could have our fingerprinting done at the same time with me as a walk-in.  We knew that we could reschedule, but we did not know how long of a delay this would cause.  When we showed up for the appointment about 20 minutes early, there were no other people there.  The staff said it would be no problem to fingerprint me right then.  He was so friendly and helpful!  It is one of the best government experiences I have ever had.  We walked out at 3:05pm! Praise God!  We were able to run more errands and still be on time for church.  Oh, and here is a little tip for you,  if you have a Meijer in you area, they will fill a Cipro prescription at no cost!  Every little savings helps!

We also are celebrating with friends that just accepted a referral of their daughter!  Little Bella is 7 and is from India.  Her parents have waited long and prayed diligently for their little girl.  She should be home in the next 3-5 months.  I was able to attend a fundraiser to help Brittnie and Jeff this weekend.  We learned how to paint a picture.  It was a lot of fun!   Whenever I look at my painting I will always be reminded of Bella's sweet face!

Also, other friends of ours Ken and Sarah have traveled to the Ukraine, met their son, and been approved by the judge!  Luke will be coming home with them in the next couple of weeks.  He is 4 years old and has a contagious smile.

It has been a wonderful week full of good news and God's blessings.  Many prayers have been answered and many more continue to be lifted up.

"Children Of God" - Official Music Video

The Waiting Room

Waiting... not something I am very good at, but that is where we are, and I know there is a lot more waiting in store.  It is funny how God has brought this concept of waiting over and over again in my life.  My first year of college I attended a Bible school.  One of my professors repeatedly said two things to us, "Fret not thyself." and "Wait."  Little did I know at 18 how much those words would impact me for the rest of my life.

So, today we wait.  We have mailed off our I-600A form to the U.S. government, and we now wait for a fingerprint appointment and for approval.  The funny thing about this process of adoption is that it is filled with different intervals of waiting.  We wait to be on a waiting list so that we can wait to receive a referral so that we can wait some more.  (Are you noticing a theme?)

The other day I was watching what turned out to be a terrible movie , but it had a really good line in it about waiting.   "But all of this isn't only about me. All of this is more about waiting ...about that time spent waiting. And the people you meet in the waiting room."  This hit me hard, but in a good way.  The waiting is important.  Waiting can draw us closer to God and to others.  During this time I have met some wonderful people that have encouraged me with their stories, lifted us up in prayers, and supported us in so many ways.  So for right now I will enjoy being in the waiting room.  I can't wait to see who comes in next!

Quick Update

Just a quick update to let you know we are officially homestudy approved!  We are so excited that our dream is becoming a reality.  Mailed off the I600A yesterday and praying that it will be approved quickly.  I am so happy it makes me just want to dance and sing.  Praising God and giving Him all the glory!

Karen

Details...

     More about our journey of adoption (still in process!)....  As we started this journey, we were not sure which direction we would go.  We had a situation that was presented to us concerning a domestic adoption that we pursued, but it did not work out.  We considered foster adoption, but God closed that door too.  We had another domestic adoption that we were approached with, but the mother changed her mind.  We then began to look to international adoption.  We considered many countries and gathered information from many sources, but with no single, clear, immediate direction that we felt led to go.
     Then, one day as I was on Facebook, a friend suggested we check out another friend's blog.  I had no idea that this would be a life changing suggestion.  I remember thinking, "Hey, I know her.  I wonder what she is up to."  And guess what she was up to ... adopting from Ethiopia!  She had posted several "gotcha day" videos.  I watched them and cried my eyes out.  Those children just grabbed my heart and wouldn't let go.  John and I talked and prayed about it and knew that God was calling us to Africa.  
     As we went through this process we found that what started as a desire to adopt one child grew into a desire for two children.  It was unanimous!  We knew that God was calling us to adopt two children at the same time.  My oldest daughter even dreamed about it one night.  She dreamed that we were coming home from Africa with her baby brother and sister.  She said that when she saw us the baby sister reached for her and hugged her and G began crying.  She told me how she woke up crying.  Now, if you know G you know that this is not like her.  She just doesn't cry about things.  We felt that this was a confirmation from God.
     What we originally thought would be Ethiopia changed to the Congo.  So that is where we are preparing to go now.  We have found an agency that will help us adopt two children at the same time (whether biologically related or not).  They have accepted our application, and our home study is near completion.  We are finally on our way!  Thanks be to God!

God's Timing

"And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"  Ester 4:14

     Every time I read this verse it gives me chills.  It is one that has always resonated with me. I chose it to be the title of our blog because it has such meaning in my life.  It gives me hope.  It gives me strength.  It shows me how God has ordained me and my family to be where we are, doing what we are doing, when we are doing it, and that we are doing it for His glory.
 
     When I look back over my life, I can see how God has prepared us to adopt, and to do that now.  If we had tried earlier in life, it would not have the same meaning to us.  I believe we would have just been growing our family, not growing spiritually as well.  If we had not had miscarriages, I am not sure that the we would have treasured our children as much.  (That is not to say that one must experience infertility to treasure children, only that I personally would have taken them for granted and did.)  If we had adopted earlier, I do not believe we would have adopted from the same area of the world.  And if we had adopted earlier, our children who may very well be living today, would not have been alive then. 

      So to those of you who are waiting, remember that God's timing is perfect.

     We had to wait for such a time as this.

New Look, New Focus

     Today our blog has a new look, title, and focus.  Since we began this blog, our lives have changed dramatically.  We have begun a journey that has taken many twists and turns, a journey of adoption. 
     As many of you know, John and I struggled for many years to have more children.  We are very blessed to have two amazing daughters.  God has graciously blessed us by entrusting their lives to us.  Often in the past I saw parenthood as a right and not a privilege.  God corrected my attitude and created within me a thankfulness for all that I have been given.  My children are a gift from God. I still longed for more children and  prayed for years that the Lord would give me the desires of my heart. Then I prayed the Lord would change my desires to be what He desired.
     As time passed, I was able to accept that our family was complete, but the desire never lifted.  John and I talked about adoption, but he was not open to it.  In the spring of 2009, I brought up the subject again.  I asked John to pray about it and make sure he was seeking God's will and not his own, just to be open to the possibility.  He said yes.  I cannot tell you how that drew us closer together in our marriage.
     In September of that same year, John read a book called Adopted for Life.  As we were driving home one day he asked me if I knew what the book was about, and I said no.  He said it was about adoption.  He had picked up that book and couldn't put it down.  He then said, "I have changed my mind.  I want to adopt, and I want to adopt now!'
     My first response was shock, then I started crying, then I started arguing with him! (Funny, what shock will do to you!)  I brought up every reservation that he had.  Every time his answer was, "I don't feel that way anymore."  I was amazed!  He also told me that he would really like to adopt a son, not because the girls were not enough for him, but that it would be wonderful to experience the joys a son brings.
     God truly answers prayers.  I had waited for 10 years to hear those words.  Even more amazing God was answering the prayers of our daughters.  Each of them had prayed periodically to have a baby brother, but interestingly they had renewed that prayer consistently for the last month.  Each night when I prayed with them individually, they would each ask God to give them a baby brother.  Neither of them knew that the other was praying for this.  How wonderful that God would choose such a blessing to demonstrate to my girls how much He cares for His children.
     So now as we continue on this journey, we will share it with you.  Please lift us all up in prayer including our future children.  That's right; I said CHILDREN!