1 year ago today, on Monday April 16, I headed to the "UPS" store (the first of many trips to come) with an application and check all filled out to our adoption agency AWAA.
We had finally decided to walk the journey towards adopting our daughter from China!
In some ways this past year has gone by so fast, and in other ways it seems to have dragged on forever. As I sat this morning pondering over this last year, I was extremely blessed to look back and see the amazing journey we have been on and continue on.
I remember the weekend before that Monday... Tim was having a blast figuring out how much we were "worth." You see, in order to adopt from China, there are so many criteria, and one is that you have to have at least a certain $ amount of net worth. Since we no longer own a home, we had fun being creative and going through our house looking at all the items we own and finding how much we were actually "worth."
I remember us both in tears as we prayed for the first time that weekend not whether or not we should adopt, and not where we should adopt from, but for "our daughter!" It all became so real 1 year ago! I remember being so filled with emotion as I realized the amazing gift that God had given us to be able to pray for our daughter before we ever held her in our arms, just like we had prayed for our boys while they were in my womb.
As we prayed then, we were unsure as to whether or not she was even born, or in her mother's womb, or even conceived yet. We saw her then, as we do now, as "our daughter" that God has graciously allowed us the priviledge of having.
1 year ago today we didn't know who she was, or where in China she was, and today we still don't know those answers. Yet I can tell you that God has allowed us the blessing of forming a bond with this "unknown" (to us) child that we can't hardly explain!
I take great comfort in knowing that the God of the universe knew then and knows now who she is! More importantly, I find peace in knowing that God perfectly hand knit her to be our daughter!!
While she may not physically resemble us, I often wonder what "traits" God has given her in order to resemble us...
As we continue to wait patiently for her, I have no choice but to place "my control" of the situation in the loving hands of the only One who should be in control! I have to remind myself daily to "trust and obey." I trust our Heavenly Father, and I chose to obey the call and be obedient to His Word by being a faithful follower and disciple of my Lord, Jesus Christ!
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Thursday, April 4, 2013
How Long?????
It seems like a day doesn't pass by without at least a few people asking when we will get our daughter... I think probably the hardest for me is when I get little kids asking because I know they so desperately want to see her come home and see the girl that they have all helped to give a forever family!!
Many will ask if we are just waiting to have the money...the truth is, once you go down the road to adoption, you have had to show that you will have the money when needed (one way or another)...for many, that means taking out a loan. Thankfully for us, the Lord has provided each step along the way, and we have not had to take out a loan!!
We continue to be in this loooooooooong "Wait" stage... What are we waiting for?... We are waiting to be matched with our daughter (this is done by our agency). How long is the wait???? I have no clue. Based on some of the trends that I have seen on our agency's blog, it could be another several months...
The fact that we have made this adoption so public for the purpose of gaining awareness of the needs here and around the world, and seeing the body of Christ come together in such tangible ways, makes my heart break knowing that it is not just us that feel this burden and strain of waiting, but all of you as well!!
I know that just as much as I long to know and hold my daughter in my loving arms, you all long to know and hold her as well!!! She has been and will be one blessed girl!!!
It has been just about a year since we started the whole process, and there has not been a day that has gone by that I don't think about where our little girl is and pray that she is somehow being held in loving arms until we can get to her and hold her ourselves.
Please continue to persevere through this wait stage along with us!! Continue to pray for endurance and the whole process (from the little details of our paperwork somewhere in China, to the big details of our daughter and preparing all of us for each other).
We love you and continue to thank you for joining on this crazy journey with us!!
Many will ask if we are just waiting to have the money...the truth is, once you go down the road to adoption, you have had to show that you will have the money when needed (one way or another)...for many, that means taking out a loan. Thankfully for us, the Lord has provided each step along the way, and we have not had to take out a loan!!
We continue to be in this loooooooooong "Wait" stage... What are we waiting for?... We are waiting to be matched with our daughter (this is done by our agency). How long is the wait???? I have no clue. Based on some of the trends that I have seen on our agency's blog, it could be another several months...
The fact that we have made this adoption so public for the purpose of gaining awareness of the needs here and around the world, and seeing the body of Christ come together in such tangible ways, makes my heart break knowing that it is not just us that feel this burden and strain of waiting, but all of you as well!!
I know that just as much as I long to know and hold my daughter in my loving arms, you all long to know and hold her as well!!! She has been and will be one blessed girl!!!
It has been just about a year since we started the whole process, and there has not been a day that has gone by that I don't think about where our little girl is and pray that she is somehow being held in loving arms until we can get to her and hold her ourselves.
Please continue to persevere through this wait stage along with us!! Continue to pray for endurance and the whole process (from the little details of our paperwork somewhere in China, to the big details of our daughter and preparing all of us for each other).
We love you and continue to thank you for joining on this crazy journey with us!!
A Fun and Profitable Bake Sale!!
In March, several of our youth group girls decided to host a bake sale to raise money for our daughter!!! Their hearts were not only in the right place (as they wanted to do something tangible to help someone else), but they managed to pull off an AMAZING bake sale!!!
THANK YOU!!!
The girls raised a total of $336...WOW!!!!
Thank you to all of you who helped bake, support, and buy goodies!!! And a special thank you to you girls who worked so hard to do something so great!! We love you!!!
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