Update

None of the previous situations have panned out so far.  We decided to not pursue the baby girl who was already 8 weeks old and we have yet to hear if we were matched or not with the other 2 situations.  Our consultant told us that when we are presented to the birthmom, she looks at the family profiles for a week or so and then picks which couple she would like to place her child with.  At that point, the matched couple will get a phone call from the agency.  We don't get a phone call if we weren't picked.  I guess we just have to assume that if we don't hear any news after a couple of weeks, then we weren't selected.  

On another note, our baby's room is coming along nicely!  Jeff and I found a deal at the Pottery Barn outlet on a dresser and brought it home yesterday.  We also got our glider/rocker and new bedding.  It has been fun to get the room situated!  We have also been getting Babies R Us boxes in the mail from lots of friends and family.  I can't tell you how good it feels to be a little more prepared!   

Lastly, I met with a friend, Susan, on Friday who is adopting two children from the foster care system.  I can't even begin to tell you how encouraged I was meeting with her!  It is amazing how God has orchestrated every last detail in their journey.   Jeff and I are so glad to have her as a resource for the future as we would love to go that route once we get this and our China adoption through!

One more!

So another situation is for a baby due at the beginning of January.  I just contacted the agency with that one.  Hopefully, we can get presented.  Keep praying!  We appreciate you all so much!

More situations

Well, today feels like a lot of progress is being made!  One agency that we weren't even sure had approved us yet just called and presented us with a situation for an 8 week old girl who we would be picking up Sunday if we want to be presented.  I am trying to get in touch with my husband to see what he wants to do on that one!  Another situation is for a newborn boy due October 22nd.  We aren't sure if we can be presented in the boy situation yet, as our application hasn't been fully approved at this agency.  I feel much better after talking with them though and it seems that our application will be approved next week sometime.  And another situation was presented to us yesterday for a baby due in March.  The mom wanted a Christian couple with no children, so it seemed perfect for us!  But, in thinking about it further we decided against it because it is so far out and if the birthmom changes her mind, we wouldn't have much time to pursue another adoption before our China referral came in.  

Lots going on!  It makes me feel like "OK!  This is definitely going to happen!"

The Heart of Adoption

"Throughout history, an authentic faith has been marked by a compassionate response toward those the world tends to forget." Gary Thomas, Authentic Faith

One of the women who works with Christian Adoption Consultants, Tracie, has such an amazing heart and has really challenged my thinking about adoption. She and her husband are in process of adopting a little boy they are calling Aiden with Down Syndrome from Eastern Europe. An excerpt from her blog...

"If all goes well and the Lord brings him into our family, we will name him "Aiden Joseph"- Aiden means "little flame" and Joseph means "he will enlarge"- we believe the prophetic destiny over Aiden's life is that he will be a little flame that will grow. We believe that his life will be a light to many and will set the hearts of others ablaze with the true spirit of adoption and a heart to live out James 1:27." Check out her full blog here.

James 1:27 says, "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." I can't begin to tell you how much this family's faith has stirred a new conviction in me. She and her family have a heart to adopt harder-to-place children and are in communities where other families are doing the same. On another blog, her brother-in-law showcases the Koth family who have adopted 10 children from all over the world!! You can see this family on the September 7th blog here.

Jeff and I are both inspired and encouraged by these families' compassion and faith in allowing God to love through them in this way. Both of our hearts have been stirred and are wondering what God could have in store for us in the future. While reading these sites, we both teared up multiple times at how God is working through these amazing families. We know we have a desire to adopt older children, but don't know the when and where just yet. My friend Susan told me about a 15 year old girl in Albania who is in an orphanage waiting for a forever family. This little girl needs a home before she is sent out to the streets on her own at 16 years old. The orphanage wants to find her a home because many of girls on the street get caught up in sex-trafficking. This thought disgusts me! I seriously could go on all day about that issue. It is one of those issues that at times I literally lose sleep over just thinking about.

To help give you a better picture, in Cambodia there is a street called the Street of Little Flowers where young girls, sometimes five and six years old, are offered to Western men for a mere $300 a night. I am in tears just typing this sentence out. I wonder all the time what we could possibly do about it. I don't know just yet, but I CAN tell you this: if I had the opportunity to adopt a handful of those girls, I wouldn't even have to pray about it. So why don't I feel the same way with other children here in the States that also need a home?  There are so many children in foster care that need a home.  I just looked online at 978 pictures of children needing homes in just Florida alone.  I know that God desires for each of us to advance His kingdom here on earth and often times in many arenas I feel like I am sitting on the sidelines. NO child should be left alone without a family to care for them. Right now I feel so alive just talking about these issues and seeing families who are doing something about them!

Please be praying for Tracie and her family as they ask for God to provide the funds to adopt their sweet Aiden Joseph. I know that Aiden has definitely set our hearts ablaze!

Fun friends

A wonderful friend of mine, Candy, met me at Babies R Us and helped me to navigate through the crazy world of baby supplies. She is the bomb! She shared with me that the first time she came to register at Babies R Us, she cried it was so overwhelming.  I totally related!!  I seriously had no idea there was a whole other world out there that I knew nothing about!  Anyway, she helped me to finish registering by filling in the gaps that I had on my list.  It was such a HUGE help!  And to top it all off, she bought me this sweet argyle blanket that matches the bedding I picked out.  I am so blessed by such great friends.  Thanks so much, Candy!!  

On another note, the situations I posted a couple of days ago have not panned out so far.  I did end up talking with the mother who called the church, but it is not sounding like it will be the best situation for us.  It sounds a little risky as I am not sure the birthmom will go through with the adoption.  And I spoke with the agency who posted the baby girl due in two weeks, but they can't seem to find the application and profiles we sent to them back in August!  Not good.  Glad I called!  However, they were trying to locate them and see if they could still present us.  Hopefully, we will hear back from them today.  One thing is for sure:  this adoption could literally happen any day.  Last week we heard that a couple was called to be presented to a birthmom who had just delivered a baby girl at the hospital.  That couple had no idea (even the day before!) that they would be flying to Utah to meet their new baby.  Crazy!  We can't wait for the phone call that will change our lives forever! 

Surprises

Well, two situations have presented themselves today. I got a phone call from work letting me know that a mother called the church asking if we had a list of people interested in adopting. It turns out her daughter is pregnant and wants to place the baby for adoption. So, I have called her and am waiting to hear back.

In the meantime another situation came up at one of the agencies for a baby girl due September 23rd. Two weeks!! So, I have let them know that we would like to be presented. Since we are adopting a girl from China, we would both like to adopt a boy, but have resigned ourselves to being open to whatever may come available and seems like a good situation. We both know that we wouldn't be able to pick the gender of a baby if we were able to get pregnant!

Please be praying for us as these situations unfold. We will keep you posted!

Waiting...

Now that all of the grant and adoption agency applications are sent in, all we have to do is wait on the right situation.  I think that waiting will be the hardest part.  There haven't been any new situations in the past week.  The agencies have said that it has been really slow recently and hope it will pick back up.  I am learning that patience is definitely NOT my virtue!  

With all of the unknowns in our life right now (house selling, finding a new house when it does, when the adoption will be), it has been a bit hard for me to truly rest.  God is definitely teaching me how to wait on Him and His perfect timing.  I KNOW that I can trust Him and that He works all things out for my good and yet sometimes I live like an orphan and believe that I have to make things happen myself.  It is so convicting to see how little faith I actually have.  I so desire to grow in my faith and learn how to trust with obedience.  I want nothing more than to be a Godly woman who glorifies her Savior.  And yet it is yucky to see how little I do that at times!  As hard as it can be, I am truly grateful for this new opportunity that is refining my faith and allowing it to be stretched.