Hope for a New Year!

The year 2011 is about to be written in the books. Done. Gone. And I can't really say that I am all that sad to see it go. It has been a very rough year for our family. With the loss of my mother-in-law to cancer, the LONG stretch of paperwork with very little headway on our adoption, my trip to the emergency room to get my appendix taken out, and countless other smaller trials- it has been a very trying year; however God has been faithful through it all. I am looking forward with great hope for the new year of 2012.

I am praying that early in 2012 we will be heading to the Philippines to adopt our little girl. I am praying that God will provide a miracle to help us pay for the completion of our adoption. (By my estimation we need just under $4,000 yet-unless it stretches out so long that we have to update more paperwork...then it will be a little more.) The updates the ICAB asked for are finally done! Please pray for very quick approval!!!

I am praying that God will provide a way for us to pay off all our debt in the next couple years. We have been working at it, but every time we get a step ahead, we take two steps back, such as hospital bills, unforseen house repairs, etc!!

I have great hope that God will open up doors of opportunity to help others know God's heart for children through adoption and through caring for orphans in 2012.

More than anything, I pray that in 2012 we will see many people in our neighborhood and community come to know Christ in a personal way. I pray that my life will be a witness to everyone I meet and that He will continue to guide me and I will continue to listen closely to His voice.

As 2011 comes to a close, take some time to dream and hope for 2012. God has good plans for us! No matter what happens, if we trust in Him, He will see us through. Have a very blessed New Year!!!

Discouraged....

It's been one of those weeks, starting with two days prior to Thanksgiving, getting a notice from the ICAB (Philippines adoption board) saying that they needed a couple more bits of information from us....information, not easy to acquire, especially so close to the holiday. We are now waiting on our psycholgist to write a letter including test results and some other information the ICAB needed. We also had to go to my former boss because they said they needed my prior employee to send in a reference because I have only been at my current job for 3 1/2 years, not the required 5 years. Our social worker said that is not even a requirement she has ever heard of! Anyway, I went the Monday after Thanksgiving and talked to my prior boss. She said she would do a reference letter. Then on Tuesday of that week, I got very sick and ended up having to have an emergency appendectomy. So, I have been out of commission for a week. And  today we are still waiting to get the reference letter and the letter from the psychologist. I have to admit, I am discouraged. Here we are getting close to the Christmas season and I thought we would know by now. I thought we would be able to send Christmas packages. I am struggling with the craziness of all the government is asking of us. It seems rediculous. Have you ever just been so discouraged, you want to quit? That's how I feel right now. Discouraged beyond my ability to keep on going on. Discouraged because this is taking an overwhelming amount of time. Just plain discouarged....And yet, I know we are following the will of God and that He has everything under control. That is the knowledge that gives me strength to carry on even through this overwhelming time of discouragement. Please continue to keep our family in your prayers. Pray that we will get these letters this week and that they will be everything the ICAB requires so they can approve us to adopt.  Pray that there will be no more bumps in the road and that our adoption journey will go smoothly from here on out. Pray that we will continue to know what direction God is taking us. Thank you for your prayers!!!