Remember

This past week has been a whirlwind.

We had our home study visit and our individual interviews, yes both in one week, separate days .

What's next?

We wait for our social worker to write up our home study "should take two weeks max", send off our I600A then we will start our dossier.

Maybe I am alone in this, but I have to admit our preparation for our home study visit was stressful. Many of our friends who have already walked through this part of the process said " we had nothing to worry about."  (friends that have not only walked down this road before, but ones who have loved , supported, cheered on,  and prayed us through our adoption journey. <3)  We cleaned  until our bones ached, organized, folded, cleaned out cabinets', changed out smoke detectors, lined shelves and I'm sure I am leaving a lot out . I analyzed in my head every possible question I might be asked and I didn't sleep a wink the night before.

Our friends were right, but I am so glad I folded every towel  and matched every pair of socks,  and scrubbed with a tooth brush to get every corner of our home clean  because our social worker took a full tour of the house, the back yard and even looked in some cabinets. ha!  

 

After our one on one interviews (first me then Dave) we headed off on a little family get away. Our agency puts on a reunion every year for families who have adopted from the DRC and any families who are on the waiting list (that's us) are welcome to attend in order to get a chance to know the faces behind all the phone calls and e-mails, and to meet the lovely families who have already walked in our shoes of course.

Pretty great, right?

 It was a piece of heaven to see all the families bonded together and to see the amount of joy these beautiful children carry with them.  

My oldest daughter met her "best friend" that day and they played every moment they could squeeze in together. This was also a time for our children to see a different culture, let me just say this culture is so beautiful, these little ones were dancing and singing,
smiling and laughing.

When it was time to leave after our first night of events our next to littlest said " are all those kids with chocolate skin adopted ?  Me- "yes" ( big smile) she then said " we should adopt one like that mom, one with chocolate skin."

Heart melted......      

 I am so grateful and blessed to have been able to attend this lovely gathering,

So many stories, good and even sad,  I won't go into detail but by the end of the second day my heavy heart brought about fear and the "what if's."    

Reality?

adoption, it can be messy.

Remember ....... When I spoke about open hands?

I decide to take a little walk. As I  was walking along underneath  the big green  trees  one of my dear friends came along side me and she said " this is your story and God is the author of your story,"

She is right.

Our adoption story is its own. However my Father chooses to right it.

 I have come to realize how much I want certainty  through this messy but beautiful life I live. 

Truth?

He is my only promise, my only certainty.

I read a little book called Jesus Calling by: Sarah Young almost daily, it has little words of encouragement that are inspired by scripture from the B.I.B.L.E  this one was perfect for me that day and I hope it can be of some encouragement to you as well.

" I am a mighty God. Nothing is too difficult for me. I have chosen to use weak ones like you to accomplish My purpose. Your weakness is designed to open you to my power. Therefore, do not fear your limitations or measure the day's demands against your strength. What I require of you is to stay close to Me, living in trusting dependence on My limitless resources. When you face unexpected demands, there is no need to panic. Remember that I am with you. Talk to me and listen while I talk you through each challenging situation. I am not a careless God. When I allow difficulties to come into your life, I equip you fully to handle them, relax in my presence, trusting in my strength."

 I'm choosing to remember the good, the bad, the tough parts and even the sad parts, knowing that my Father is the author and in the end it all is worked out for the good.     

Luke 1:27 Cor. 12:9

To the one

To the one who kisses those ouchies and scares the monsters away

oh..... how you love fiercely and protect safely

you dance that first dance

 you show them the way..

the way their Father up above loves them

Those little girls call you their

"hero"  

they want you to be always near 

 waiting for you to come home, to share about their day.....

to show you how to twirl

and how they can cut the right way

you listen and you hold

you teach them their worth

showing them they are fearfully and wonderfully made

you are "daddy" 

a daddy who shows them how to love and how to be

soon....

you will be

anothers hero

I know this

because you are incredible at being "daddy'

An update to the update

It's a time to dance

For those of you who have been reading  my blog for the short time it's been up you know that there was a possibility that we might have been gifted with two,  when I saw the photos of these two little lives I could see the great sadness in their eyes. I wanted to jump on a plane and rescue them right then and there, I heard God telling me

"there is a reason these two little precious lives were brought into your life."

I now know that they were placed in our lives so that we could see what it looks like to see the eyes of a child who has had so much taken from them. It was my father saying....

" hit your knees Sarah, pray for these precious ones of mine."

"They need loving hands and the warmth of a forever family."

"Be my  ambassador, they mean so much to me."

We will not be calling these little ones our own,but we celebrate because this is not about us, we are on this journey because God called us to adopt and he is working every detail out for his glory.     

In fact I am dancing with joy, this means two less from the 147 million out there without a home to call their own.

 We are now number three on the waiting list

We are getting closer......

While we wait and we walk along this bumpy road  I hold my father's hand . I'm soaking in every little detail, knowing this is a beautiful time, a time like none I've ever experienced.

We have seen our Father move mountains and we have been wrapped in love.

I checked the mail yesterday to find this!

the note reads

"please accept this donation for your adoption best of luck"

We have been gifted with many of these

some by friends others by complete strangers

from 20.00 donations to 2000.00 donations

It  has humbled us and we see planted seeds growing

 so many in our corner.......  

some have even put together fundraiser of their own on behalf of our adoption.

You all have put a love in our hearts, in a way words could not express!

love from our home to yours xxxx's

We have some news!

We have a number,  number 17  on the waiting list that is. What does this mean?

Nothing really, we could 

have a referral in the next few weeks  if the 16 in front of us have a request for an infant or a little girl. We saw evidence of this just last week. We were informed that there were two precious ones in need of a home and our case worker was in search of a home for these two precious ones because the age and gender did not meet the requests of the other families on the waiting list.

Of course we would say YES!

That is why we are on this journey. To give our love and share our life with a little one that deserves a loving home.

You ask, "two?"

Maybe?

In my life I have learned that if I only live a life I'm capable of living I would never look up.

So as of right now, all that we know is our case worker has found a family that might say "yes" to these two precious lives and I jump for joy if that is the case, if they do not say "yes" I jump for joy knowing that we would have two little precious ones coming home with us when we leave DR Congo.

So what now?

  

Time.

It's what causes us to grow, it can leads us to....

Patients.

It's not an easy task, but its necessary  through this process. it leads us to....

Trust.

It's open hands.

Open hands is moving out of the way, and believing in His plan, His timing, while we....

 fight.
For a way to bring our little one home.

WHY?

HE fought for me

To give me.

Life....

In life there is a time for everything.

A time to plant, a time to sow, a time to cry, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, a time to dance, a time to embrace, a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to let it be, a time to keep and a time to give away, a time to be silent, and a time to speak........      

 

We celebrate.

We trust him for every detail
In the above photos is a beautiful  moment we captured of our daughters baptism. A time where we heard her little voice make a promise to live her life for her King the one who gave everything so that she could be free.