"152 Insights into my soul"

I had one of those moments today: totally, completely, uncomfortable, out of my element and wishing I was anywhere but sitting in the psychologist's office. The Philippines requires both parents to take two psychological exams and then meet with the psychologist to go over the results. Staring at the written analysis, it was eerily accurate. I don't know if I have ever had anyone read me so clearly, and it made me feel very exposed. I felt like the girl from "You've Got Mail" ---"152 insights into my soul!" Oh, the things we do for our children! Now, just a few more hours of adoption training, waiting for our final psychologist report, raise another $1,000 or so, fill out several more stacks of paperwork, and we'll be ready for our homestudy. This adoption process is much more emotionally and physically draining than I ever imagined. Please pray with me for strength, finances, and especially for our little boy or girl who is somewhere in an orphanage or children's home tonight.

Waiting children

Tonight I decided to look through the list of waiting children on the special link of our agency's website. The little faces cried out to me, begging me to adopt them. It is so difficult to see their faces, read their stories and wonder if any of them will find forever homes. There are a few on there from the Philippines, which we requested more information about.  What makes me so sad, is that many of those children will never find a forever home or be a part of a family. I pray that God will speak to many families about considering adoption of a waiting child. These children need to find the love of Jesus. They need to find the love of parents. Many of them were abandoned in the streets by moms, dads, aunts or uncles because they couldn't take care of them. Many of them are completely orphaned, with no mom or dad alive at all. Many of them will end up back on the streets when they reach a certain age, with no means to support themselves. What better way to show them the love of Christ than by taking them in as your own?  As I look at each little face, each one loved by the Heavenly Father, I pray for them, asking God to give them someone who will show them His love. I also continue to pray about Mission 1:27, the orphan care ministry which God has birthed in our hearts through this adoption process.  I pray that God will use this ministry to touch millions of orphans throughout this world. And I especially pray for the child He has for our family--for God's protection, care and love to surround him or her even now.

Wow! Another step closer!

Wow! That is about all I can say! We recieved another check today toward our adoption costs--$600. I am overwhelmed by God's faithfulness and by people's kindness. This check was from someone we hardly know, but they have adopted two children and they understand where we are coming from! Thank you so much! I really believe that God must want this child to come home to us soon. We are planning on adopting a child between the ages of 4 and 6, so I can't help but wonder where he or she is today and how he or she is being cared for. Does he or she have enough food, clothes or clean water? Does he or she have someone to hug and say "I love you?" Is he or she in a safe place? I  am praying for God to protect our little one and send someone to care for him or her until we can bring him or her home to be a part of our family. I really just want to get through all these piles of paperwork for our dossier and get our homestudy done. Seeing the money come in confirms it to me that God is in this and He is going to provide the way. With every check that comes in, we are one step closer. From what I can figure, we still need about $1,200 for the completion of the homestudy, the first $200 in country fees and the filing of the intial paperwork with the government. Thank you so much to everyone for their prayers and financial donations to help bring our child home from the orphanage!

Praising God for Miracle #1!

I'm dancin' a jig, I'm shoutin' from the rooftops, I'm so excited! My husband called me today and said we recieved a donation from a relative for $800 toward our adoption! When we mailed out those letters, my expectations were low. I figured if only 10 or 15 people sent in a donation for an average of $50, we MIGHT end up with between $500 or $1,000, now here we already have $800 and have already recieved a few other dontations! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, to everyone who has donated!

 Just last night, as we were looking at our dossier and home study paperwork, I noticed that one of the next things we have to file is a government form that costs $670 and our FBI fingerprinting that cost $80 each--for a total of $830! God has provided the amount we need, JUST IN TIME!!! Wow! We serve an amazing God! I can't thank you enough for giving what God lays on your heart to give! It means so much to us because we can't do this alone. The next big cost is only a couple months away, our home study fees (I can't remember the exact cost, but I think it is around $1,500.00) and $200 toward the country fee.After we complete our home study and pay those fees, we will be eligible for many more grants and other funding. I'm praising God today for what I am calling "Miracle #1" of this adoption journey. I can't wait to see what other miracles are waiting in the days and weeks ahead!

These Autumn Days

Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the cool crisp days, the swirl of leaves in the air, and the smell of apples. The changing colors of the leaves on the trees paint a portrait so perfect and unique every day.  One of my favorite drinks is the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks with its creamy whipped topping mixed with nutmeg and cinnamon. It is a good thing there is not a Starbucks on my way into work; I am sure I would not be able to resist the temptation! I savor homemade soups and stop in often at Panera bread for my favorite chicken and wild rice soup, which I just can't seem to make at home. I enjoy watching the kids play in the leaves and going for walks as a family. I love the pumpkin patch, God's Creation party, which we put on for children every October at our church, and at the end of Fall, the very best meal of the year--Thanksgiving! These Autumn days I am wondering....where is my little Filipino child? Is he or she well taken care of? I am praying that he or she is in a safe place, sheltered, and well cared for. I am praying that possibly, by some miracle, next Autumn, he or she will be here with us, joining in all the family fun. *Sigh* I guess I better get to work on the on-line adoption classes and the dossier paperwork, taking me one step closer to our special "gotcha day" when we bring our little one home to be a part of our family forever!

Trust in the Lord!

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart, don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go, he's the one who will keep you on track." Prov. 3:5-6 The Message

Trust is a difficult thing. Sometimes, when times get rough, we begin to second guess ourselves and our ability to hear from God. It's not that we don't trust in God, but we wonder if we heard from Him correctly and if we are really on the right path. We often view the center of God's will as the 'perfect' place to be in that everything will be smooth, easy, and beautiful. While being in the center of God's will for your life is the "perfect" place to be, it doesn't always mean there will be no bumps in the road. God's will for Jesus' life was not easy. God's plan was for His very own son to die on the cross, a horrible wicked death; however, His ultimate plan was resurrection and power over the grip of sin--Victory! If Jesus had not trusted God the Father and continued in the path of His purpose through death on the cross, we would never know grace and forgiveness for our sins.

Sometimes, we walk through difficult times and we wonder if we are on the right path at all. The verse above states, "Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track." If you are listening for God's voice and you know you are in His will, don't second guess Him. You might hit rough times; finances might be tight (or non-existant!), but He will provide for ALL your needs! We cannot figure out the mind of God and His answers to our prayers may not be the way we expect them, but He will take care of His people if we will trust Him and follow His voice.

I know He has called us to adopt and we will take one step at a time. As long as we are following God's will, I beleive He will make a way.

Faith and Fundraising

When my husband and I first began talking about adopting, the one thing that made me balk was the money. I was not worried about adding another child to the family and the expenses involved in that, but I was worried about the cost of the actual process. Adoption from a foriegn country is not cheap!  I take care of paying the bills in our household, and money (or the lack of it!) is always somewhat stressful for me. As we prayed about it, we felt like it was time to step out in faith and begin the process. There are grants and loans and all sorts of things to help with the funding; however there are many costs that come before you can even apply for assistance. There are doctor's appointments, FBI fingerprinting, passports, required adoption classes, and the home study, all adding up to several thousand dollars. At the same time we decided to step out in faith and start the adoption process, we also felt impressed to give a generous amount of money in monthly support to several missions projects above our tithe. When God asks you to do something, He will always bless your obedience. While I don't know where the money will come from for the adoption, I know that God is faithful. He will not ask us to do something without providing the means to accomplish it.

So, the fundraising begins. We are sending out letters to many friends and family members, I have entered a blog contest, and we are selling things on e-bay. We are asking all our friends and family to support us especially in prayer; however, if God leads you to be a part of helping us financially, we would greatly appreciate it. You never know how God might use you to be a part of our adoption miracle!

PS. I have added a link for donations through paypal, or you can mail donations in to the adoption fund set up at our church if you would like to receive tax giving credit: Mission 127 Adoption Fund; 10710 Taylorsville Road; Louisville, KY 40299.