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.