Coffee Anyone?

We have been made aware of a wonderful organization called Just Love Coffee.    Here is their story:

Rob Webb knows coffee. When Rob was two years old, his father started Webb's Coffee Service, which blossomed into a full-blown refreshment service supplying businesses in Nashville, TN and the surrounding areas, and is now run by Rob.

Rob Webb knows the adoption process. In the summer of 2008, Rob and his wife Emily were called to adopt from Ethiopia. After much prayer and discussion with their first two children they started their adoption journey in August 2008. During the flurry of paperwork and preparation, Rob & Emily read books not only on adoption in general, but specifically on Ethiopia. Learning that Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee caught Rob's attention, and after reading about the living conditions and wages of the average coffee farmer, he was compelled to take action. What developed through his reading and his trip to Ethiopia to unite with his daughters was a realization that he could combine his expertise and longstanding desire to roast his own coffees with his desire to help others. Just Love Coffee Roasters was born! Roasting Fair Trade Specialty coffees, Just Love uses proceeds to help an Ethiopian orphanage and families adopting not just from Ethiopia, but from anywhere in the world.

What an inspired idea!  And what a ministry to adoptive families.  Just Love Coffee takes care of all the details for us and just allows the adoptive family to benefit.  

You can now click on the coffee image on the right of this page and order some really good coffee and know that you are benefiting not only our adoption, but an orphanage in Ethiopia, and local coffee farmers who really need our business!   If we can get a good base of people who buy regularly, we hope to be able to donate proceeds to another adoptive family once our adoption is complete.  We are praying about ways to raise funds for other families down the road.

We had a great day yesterday doing yard work for two special widows in our church.  The weather was sunny and cool, perfect for working outside.  Eva had a friend spend the night, so we had a pair of extra hands for the day.  Let this be a warning to you:  Don't spend the night at the Hanagans before a work day!    The kids worked so hard all day long without complaining.  We were all blessed by this day of service.   Next work day is next Saturday.  Anyone want to spend the night??  :-)

Our pooper scooper extraordinaire!

 The "Stick to It Weed Pullers"

Isaac loved the challenge of digging this unwanted baby tree out of the mulch! 

That's my man!

Our gang celebrating the completed project

 House project #2 

Isaac and Riley came up with the name Wiphan Weed-X. 

Our shirts are from Wiphan which is an amazing organization that helps widows and orphans in Zambia, Africa.   One t-shirt purchase provides enough to supply food and education for one of the orphans at their compound.   You can buy one here if you want to participate.   You can also learn more about their ministry and how you can be involved.   I found out about this ministry at another All God's Children family's website.  It is so inspiring and truly moves hearts to action.  Their blog is called Babe of My Heart.

A Good Friday!

Two big news items to report!

First big item:  We have a court date!!!   Oh, how I've been waiting for the phone to ring all week to hear the news of when our court appointment was to be scheduled.  I've had the phone with me all the time...waiting...waiting.  Today, we went to pick up a friend of my daughter's and the call finally came - at home - which we weren't.  So, the CM called my cell phone.  I was pumping gas and my phone was in the car - didn't hear it ring.  I finally noticed that my kids were inside the van pointing towards my purse.  I thought, "Hey, maybe that's my phone ringing with the news...Nah!"  So, I got in the car, and checked the caller ID.   Yes, it was the call!   A quick return phone call back and I got the news we've been waiting for...  Our court date is April 8th!  Less than two weeks away!

What does this mean?  Well, it means that we covet your prayers very much as the date approaches.   The court date is momentous.  There needs to be official papers there from the Ministry of Women's Affairs and the Central Authority.   The boys' birth mother needs to be there as well.  This is when she gives her final assent to the adoptions.  She needs to have proper ID with her and she will be answering several questions from the judge.   If all goes as it is supposed to, the judge issues an official decree and the boys become legally ours.   Even as I type this, I war inside between joy over the possibility of becoming the official parents of these two precious ones and pain and anguish that I feel for the birth mother.   She will also receive our letter to her as well as the photo album of our family.    It will be quite an emotional day for all involved.

Specific prayers:
*the paperwork would all be where it needs to be and that it would be completely accurate
*the birth mother would be able to be present and would have proper ID with her - she will be provided with transportation to and from the court as well as a hotel room in the capitol for the night
*comfort and peace for the birth mother in her decision
*wisdom and compassion from the judge

We have been told to prepare for the possibility that we will not pass court on the first try.  About 50% or so of families have to go back a second time due to any number of possibilities.  If so, we would be rescheduled within a week or two usually for another appointment.  Obviously, we are really praying that we will pass the first time.   After passing court, travel to pick up the boys usually occurs between 4 and 6 weeks later.  Wow!  This is all going so fast!

Second big item:  We were notified today that $4,000 has been raised for our matching grant.  So, Lifesong will officially match that $4,000!   Tears just poured down my face as I read that news.   I am overwhelmed by God's goodness expressed to us through His people.   Truly, we cannot express how humbled we are by the generous giving of others to support the cause of the orphan.  It is beyond what we ever imagined.  But, that shouldn't surprise us when we are dealing with the God who created the universe.  He does as He pleases and He uses who He pleases to accomplish His purposes.

If you are one of those people, we thank you from the depths of our hearts for being available.  For allowing God to accomplish His purposes through you.  We cannot express enough how much it means to us.  We pray for you by name daily and give thanks for your generosity.  We know without a doubt that God will bless your generosity.  Proverbs 11:25 says

The generous man will be prosperous,

And he who waters will himself be watered.

Any of you who have supported us in any way, through prayer, hand-me-downs, encouraging e-mails or phone calls, or financially - you will be a part of our story forever and the story will be told to our boys of how many loved them and had a part in bringing them home.  

Lifesong continues to accept donations that are tax-deductible.  Every penny goes toward our adoption expenses.  We continue on in faith that God will provide for what He has called us to do.   We are so thankful that God is giving us this opportunity to trust in a way that we never have before, and as a result, see His power and provision displayed in a way we've never known before.  What a gift and blessing.  

We wanted to give something back as a thanks offering for those who are supporting us.  Because we could not serve a widow through the original Both Hands project that we intended to use for fundraising, we will be serving some widows in our church tomorrow and next Saturday with their outdoor spring yardwork.  We intend to make this a regular part of our springtime ritual.   We are thankful for healthy bodies and a good weather forecast!  Please pray that we might be very productive and a real blessing to these ladies.  

For fun, here are a few pics, now that my very smart husband figured out what was wrong with my blog and I can upload pictures.   

 Our sweet care package contents from our case manager.

  We wanted to pick out some fleece to make matching blankets for all the boys' beds.   I am terrible at stuff like this, so I brought my daughters who are much better at it.  Riley picked out this fleece and I love it!   The first picture we saw of L, he was holding a soccer ball.  Soccer is everywhere in Addis, so we thought this would be a welcoming, fun, and familiar pattern for the boys.  My mom sewed the first blanket for us and is working on the rest.  The room is coming together and we are getting more and more excited all the time!  

Eva wants so much to be involved in everything we do for the boys.   My sister is sewing the curtain and she gave Eva the extra material to sew this pillow cover.   Isn't it cute?  

"May the Lord give you increase,

You and your children.

May you be blessed of the Lord,

Maker of heaven and earth."   Psalm 115:14-15 

Now, I think there's a Purdue game that's calling my name.  Go Boilers!!!!    

 

Cold Water and Distant Lands

I admit that I'm struggling in the wait right now.  So much has happened, so fast.  I'm not complaining - I'm glad that it's happened so fast!  So far, I've been so busy that the time has been flying by.   This weekend, we put together the photo albums for the boys.  We put together photos for the birthmom and wrote her a letter to go with it.  It was very emotional for me.

We also painted the boys' room and put up a bunk bed, picked out material to make blankets, and cleaned out the closet to make room for their things.  My son is loving his made-over room and can't wait to share it with his two new brothers!

I think these actions made it all so much more real to me.  I can now picture the boys sleeping in their beds.  I can see their things in the closet and drawers.  It just seems like they should be here - now.   But, it will still be quite a few weeks until they come home.  We still have not heard about the court date yet.

So, I find myself once again laying it all down at the foot of the cross, of my Saviour.  I know that He knows the times ordained for all things.  I do not want to rush it.  I do trust Him.  But I am human and my heart is aching to hold two little boys that are across the world from me and don't even know that I exist.   It is truly miraculous how God has knit my heart to theirs.   We are virtually strangers, yet I love them with my whole heart.

In the midst of this emotional weariness going on, God sent me two special gifts today to remind me that He cares so much about me and how I feel.  How I love my Lord.   I'm reminded of the verse:  "What is man that you care for him?  Or the son of man that you take thought of him?  Yet you have made him a little lower than God and crown Him with glory and majesty."  Psalm 8.   The kids and I memorized that Psalm last week.   It is amazing how God takes thought of us and cares so personally about the details of our lives.

So, gift #1 was a package in the mail today from our case manager.  Inside was our travel preparation material along with a gift.  I am trying to upload a picture and it won't let me.  Oh, well...  It was two sweet little stuffed animals and two "It's a Boy!" birth announcements!  Such a sweet and unexpected surprise today.

The second gift was a lovely e-mail that came this evening from a blog friend who is in Ethiopia right now picking up their sweet baby boy.   She told me that they had seen our boys!  She said that the younger one was so cute that they noticed him as soon as they arrived.   They were outside playing in the sunshine.  She assured me that they were getting wonderful care.   I can't tell you what that meant to my heart to get some word about them and know that they are okay.   It is so hard to just not know anything!     I'm so thankful for this sweet news about our boys!

Today, God provided cold water for my weary soul.   He refreshed my spirit with good news from a distant land.

"Like cold water to a weary soul,
So is good news from a distant land."
Proverbs 25:25

Next Steps

This afternoon, I had our "Next Steps" phone call with our CM.  It was full of information!  Here is where we stand:

Our court date is not scheduled yet, but should be soon.  The next court possibility is March 30th.  We are not currently on the docket for that date, but we could be added.  We are praying that our case will go to court on the 30th if that is God's will.    All along, I've been praying for a March court date, and I'm not giving up yet!  If we don't get scheduled for that date, it will most likely be early April.

Please be praying that our paperwork that is currently at the Ministry of Women's Affairs (MOWA) and at the Central Authority would be completed quickly and accurately.    Our dossier and the boys' file is now combined into one file and is being reviewed by these offices.  The MOWA is checking out Tom and I (again!) and the CA is checking into the boys' relinquishment to make sure all was done properly.   They then have to submit a Letter of Recommendation to the Court.  If that letter is not there, we would not pass court.

In the meantime, our assignment for the weekend is to put together photo albums for each of the boys with pictures of all of us, our home, pets, etc.  We will be putting the pictures into soft photo albums that they can hold and hug on.   These pictures will hopefully help the boys to recognize us when they see us for the first time as well as the kids waiting for them at home.

We also will be putting together a photo album for the birthmother with pictures of our family and home.

Lastly, we will be writing a letter to the birthmother to go along with the picture album.  Obviously, this will be a difficult task.  Please pray that God would direct our words and that the words in the letter would be just what she specifically needs to hear from us, that she would be comforted and strengthened after reading it, and that it would provide hope for her.

These items have to be in Ethiopia for the court date, so there is no time to waste.

I'm finally facing the fact that there really does need to be a bedroom put together -and soon!  It has just not seemed possible that this is really happening so fast and we've been so busy with all the issues that have come up.  After we looked at the calendar and realized that we have very few free weekends left before we bring them home, I sent Tom and Isaac out for paint chips last night.  I think we have a color - so on Saturday - let the painting begin!

"In his heart a man plans his steps,
but the Lord directs His path."

Whatever the Lord pleases, He does!

Are you ready for this?  I have a wonderful, amazing story to tell.   We got some great news today, but you have to stick with me through the story to get to the good news.

On Friday, I left for our church ladies' retreat.  The topic was Contentment.  Good timing, huh?   I was trying to deal with the news of making two trips to ET and things not going according to my plan.  God was so good.  I had peace and was willingly submitting to His will in this.  I was praying that something might change and that somehow we would not have to travel twice, even though that seemed impossible.  My mind was fully accepting that we would be going soon.  The retreat further worked in my heart and mind as we focused on being content in the Lord.   The first quote I read in the program said this:

"Contentment is essentially a matter of accepting from God's hand what He sends because we know that He is good and therefore it is good."  J.I. Packer.  

Perfect words for our situation.  God IS good, therefore, I trust Him to DO good in my life and make all things work FOR good.  

Our boys come from the southern region of Ethiopia.  They speak a language that is fairly obscure.  We were longing to find a way to communicate with them in their language.  I had been made aware of an Ethiopian pastor in our area who has a ministry to adoptive families and had been in touch via e-mail a couple of times.  I e-mailed him and asked if he knew anyone who spoke the boys' language.  He e-mailed me back right away and said that he had worked in that region for six years and could speak some of their language!  Better yet, he could find someone who speaks it even better than he did and who could help us. Praise the Lord!   We made a time to meet him so that he could teach us to speak some of the phrases we wanted to learn.

Today, our whole family met with him.  It was such a blessing and encouragement - I don't even have words to share what it meant to me.  He has such a passion for the Lord and desires for all to know Him.  In fact, He came to know the Lord while working in that region.  He told us that many people there have put their trust in Christ and that he would not be surprised if the boys' birth family knew the Lord!  He taught us many things.  He told us of the boys' region, the landscape, the people who live there, the situations they live in.  He encouraged us in this path we are taking and thanked us.   We assured him that we felt we were being given the gift in bringing the boys home.  He said that every adoptive family he knows feels the same way.  We videotaped him speaking phrases for us so that we could practice them at home.  I could go on and on about what God was doing in my heart as we spoke, but I'll save that for later.  At the end, he asked if he could pray with us.   He prayed that God would do a miraculous work and that somehow we would only have to take one trip to get the boys.  As he prayed that, I felt a stirring of the Spirit in my own heart.

The kids and I stopped for groceries on the way home.  As we walked in the door with the bags, my cell phone rang.  I saw it was my CM.  I answered and she said, "I want to talk to you about the travel situation.  I have some good news for you!"  My heart immediately responded.  I knew she was going to say that we would not have to take two trips!  She told me that they had found out further information today from the government.  They are saying that any file that is officially opened within the next three weeks will not have to comply with the two trip change.

Well, guess what?  Our file was officially opened today in Ethiopia!!!  Therefore, we will only be making one trip to pick up the boys!    I cannot even begin to tell you how this feels.  The kids will tell you I have been jumping up and down, shouting, and yelling "Praise the Lord" all day.   Oh, how I praise Him.   What a huge relief this news was.  I felt such a burden lifted.  We were ready to do whatever God had for us to do and were planning to leave very soon on the first trip.   It is such a relief that we can now just focus on getting the boys home.  

I cannot help thinking over and over, that if we had not said yes to God's call, we would be missing all of this. The hard and the good.  The unexpected and the amazing.  The ups and the downs.  All of it is from God's hand.  We know this is not over.  We know there will still be plenty of hard to come.  But we will praise Him no matter what He brings.  

At this point, we will be waiting to hear when our court date is scheduled.  We hope to hear that news sometime next week.    I feel so much closer to the boys coming home.   We cannot wait to hold them in our arms!

"For I know that the Lord is great,
And that our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases, He does,
In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps."
Psalm 135:5-6 

We have the FDL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tom went downtown today and went to the local USCIS office and asked for a copy of the FDL.  They had him wait for a minute and then gave him two copies.  Wow.  I guess we should have done that awhile ago!    We have it!!!    Praise the Lord!!!!  Thank you so much for praying.  It makes all the difference.

Our Eyes Are On You

Since I was a kid and reading through the Bible with my mom, one of my all time favorite stories was of Jehoshaphat in II Chronicles 20.  Lately, I've been reading that story over and over.  Now, I know that God was preparing me with it.

Big J was the King of Judah at the time.  There was a massive army heading his way and he knew that there was no way his army could stand against them.    The Bible says "Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord; and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah."  20:3   Jehoshaphat cries out to God.  He reminds God that they are powerless before the great multitude coming against them and says these words:  "...we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You."   God tells J. not to fear or be dismayed, and that, in fact, he won't even need to fight, but can just stand by and see God deliver them.  God does indeed deliver them.  Big J. puts people at the front of the army to praise the Lord continually with these words, "Give thanks to the Lord, for His unfailing love is everlasting."  As they march up to the ridge and look down into the valley where the enemy is gathered, they see only corpses - "and no one had escaped".

When we received this referral faster than we ever imagined, and before we had the funds in place that we needed to accept the referral, I prayed this prayer, "Lord, we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You."

When we got the news yesterday that we would be taking not one trip, but two, to Ethiopia, (see post below) and that we would need to buy airline tickets in less than a week most likely, again, my prayer was, "Lord, we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You."

Like Jehoshaphat, I felt afraid, I turned to seek the Lord, and I fasted.  I love how the Bible gives us the patterns to follow in times of crisis.  I have put praise at the front of the battlelines and am praying to the Lord continually, "Give thanks to the Lord, for His unfailing love is everlasting."   I believe with all my heart that the Lord will fight this battle for us and all we need to do is "stand and see the salvation of the Lord on our behalf. For the battle is not ours, but God's."  (v. 15, 17)

Last week, we received some very exciting news.  We had been planning to do a fundraising project called Both Hands.  We were very excited about it as this project ministers to the orphan and to the widow and is a huge blessing to everyone involved.  (For those who are in the adoption process and needing to raise funds, please check this out as I believe it is the neatest idea I've ever heard.  Go here for more information.)

When our process started moving so quickly (2 weeks vs. 8 - 10  months!), we realized we did not have time to pull this project off.  We notified Lifesong for Orphans of our change in status.  They agreed to put our application through their matching grant program, but said it would  most likely take a while for an answer.   

The very next day we were notified that an anonymous donor was providing a $4,000 matching grant for our adoption costs!!   They will match dollar for dollar any donations up to $4,000.  PRAISE GOD!  This sounds like a God who is fighting the battle for us.  

They have given us a deadline of April 19th to raise the funds for the matching grant of $4,000.  However, they will accept donations (tax-deductible) on our behalf at any time up to and even past the adoption.   

Asking for financial assistance is a very difficult and humbling experience for us.  We have prayed and prayed over what to do.  When we received the matching grant, we felt that God had given us permission to make our needs known.  We in no way feel entitled to anyone's help or have expectations of anyone.  The thing is that if only the people who could afford to adopt, adopted, there were would be very few adoptions happening. There would be even more orphans in the world.   God uses all of His people to bring the miracle of adoption to pass.

If anyone would be so moved to help bring our boys home, you can now make a tax-deductible gift to us through Lifesong for Orphans.  Any gift made before April 19th will apply to the matching grant.  You would make the check payable to Lifesong for Orphans and would write Hanagan Adoption in the memo line.  Mail checks to:  

Lifesong for Orphans

ATTN: Hanagan Adoption

P.O. Box 40

Gridley, IL 61744

We have quite a large need still at this point, and not a lot of time.  So, once again, we pray, in full faith, "Lord, we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You."    It is our desire that all glory be given to our God.

And the story ends:  "And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God gave him rest on all sides."  

"Give thanks to the Lord, for His unfailing love is everlasting."  II Chronicles 20:21

Have you ever heard international adoption is unpredictable?

Well, it's all true.  We received some very shocking and unexpected news yesterday from our agency.  They had asked all the Ethiopian adoptive families to be on a conference call.  It sounded pretty important and somewhat scary.

On this call, we learned that, as of yesterday morning, the Ethiopian government was changing their policy and requiring families to make two trips to Ethiopia rather than one.   I must admit when I heard those words, my stomach dropped, my heart raced, and tears sprang to my eyes.   It was just such a shock.  Especially because we have those two little boys waiting for us, one with a medical need.   At first, it just seemed like this wasn't for real.  But, as the call went on, and I got more information, I knew deep within that God was still in control.  He knew about this.  He was not surprised.  He was prepared for it and He had been preparing me for it, although I had no idea.  I love how He loves me.    I was reminded of the words  I had just typed in my journal late the night before.  "To God be the Glory.  Not my will, but Yours be done."   God was giving me a chance to prove that I meant those words.

Apparently, 41 families in the past have changed their minds about their adoptions after arriving in Ethiopia.   Understandably, the ET government wants to protect their children and wants to prevent this from happening.  So, they are requiring the adoptive parents to come to ET for 5 days or so, spend time with their kids in the orphanage, and sign the Adoption Agreement themselves.  Previously, this signing was done by the director  of the orphanage to whom we had given Power of Attorney.   I do understand why they are requiring this - just wish we had a little more notice!

What this means to us:  We will be traveling in approx. 3 weeks for our first trip to ET.    We will spend time with the boys there for several days at the orphanage.  Then, we will fly home, and the court process will be started.   If all goes well, we would travel back in approx. 6 to 9 weeks to bring the boys home.  

It is taking some time to process all of this.  There are so many factors to consider.  We know that this could be a very positive thing for the boys to meet us and get to know us a little bit before we arrive to take them away from everything they've known.  We pray that they would not be fearful of us and would recognize us when we return.   Hopefully, this will make it a much smoother and easier transition for all of us.  If it helps the boys in any way, then it is so worth it!  

It will also be a good thing for Tom and I to experience a little bit more of ET.  We hope to be able to buy some things for the boys and experience a little more of the culture so that we have that knowledge to share with them.   It will also help with our second travel trip to be more prepared and know what to expect - there won't be nearly as many unknowns with the trip itself, accomodations, travel in country, the orphanage, etc.   That should ease our stress level - and less stressed out mama and papa means less stressed out boys.   It will be a really neat thing to be able to picture the boys' rooms and beds and know their daily routine.  We can bring many pictures home to show our children here waiting.  We will have met their caregivers and can pray for them specifically.   We will be bonding with them emotionally so much more during our 6 to 9 week wait to go get them.  That should help our transition process as well.

On the down side, I really can't imagine spending several days with them and then leaving them.  In fact, I am choosing not to even try to imagine this.  God will have to take care of that for us and I know He will provide the strength we need.   I do have concern for the boys that they will bond with us during that week, and be so confused when we leave.  I am praying that somehow someone can communicate effectively with them that we will be returning.  I can't stand to think of them feeling abandoned again.

Another concern for us is the increase in cost with very little notice.   See the next post for ways that God is already working in that area on our behalf.  

I praise God for the family support we have.  They can jump in so quickly to care for our kids here.  They will be in good hands.  And God is giving them so much grace to handle this unexpected twist in their lives.  They amaze me with their willingness to accept whatever will help their brothers to get here.

I heard this song on my drive to co-op this morning and it really spoke to me.  It's always been one of my favorites and it had special meaning today:

Oh what peace we often forfeit,
Oh what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry,
Everything to God in prayer.    
 

The CALL! - Part II

I answered the phone wondering what else my CM could have to say after our long conversation earlier.  She was very cheerful and said how happy she was that we had talked earlier today and reviewed our parameters, etc.  I started walking toward the tiny bathroom off our hallway to shut myself in there since there will still 6 littles running around making noise.  :-)  She said she had two little brothers to talk to me about.  I felt my mouth fall open and things just kind of went quiet in my head.  She started telling me all about them.  As she was telling me, I kind of had this thought, like, why is she telling me this when this really doesn't have anything to do with me?  We can't get a referral yet, so what is she talking about?  I listened without saying a word for what seemed like a long time.   She asked if I had something to write on - and since the only thing nearby was toilet paper - I told her to hang on a minute.

I opened the door, and whispered to Tom, "It's our CM and she is talking to me about two little boys."  My hands were shaking, my body was shaking.  I still was quite sure that she was not talking to me about these boys because they were a referral for us, so I wondered what the reason was.  Tom said, "That's not possible."   (Hmm, kind of reminds me of his response when my water broke with our firstborn in the middle of the night, and he told me that, no, I was not in labor, and rolled over to go back to sleep.  Ah, denial.)

As I headed up the stairs, I said to our CM, "You know we don't have our FDL, right?"  I figured that would clear things up since I definitely knew we could not get a referral without our FDL.  She told me that since we were the only family on the list who met the parameters of two boys with these ages, they were doing what they call a pre-referral.   OK.   I'm starting to think that maybe she's talking to me about these boys because she is giving us a referral.  Maybe.

Tom meanwhile puts the older kids in charge of the younger kids and comes up to our room and shuts the door.  I'm trying to write down the information our CM is giving me.  My hands are still shaking.   As she tells me their ages, I'm not surprised at all.  All along, from back in Oct. of 2006, I was looking at pictures of 4 year old boys.  I've always felt it was going to be a 4 year old boy and a toddler boy.  As she was telling me, I felt like, "Uh, huh, I know that already."  Even their names have special meaning to us and are the first and middle name of a special nephew whom lived with us for awhile recently.  Everything is good, except there is a medical concern.   She tells me she is going to e-mail me medical information and then we should call right back to keep talking.  She asked if I wanted her to send pics, too, or wait until after we had reviewed the medical information.  Are you kidding me!!??  We opted for the pictures!   Tom and I looked at the pictures ourselves.  Part of me was afraid to show the kids in case something didn't work out, so we looked first.

Our friend arrived to pick up her kids and I whispered to her that something big was happening.   After they left, my oldest came upstairs.  I can never hide anything from her.  She took one look at my face and said, "What's happening, Mom?"   We called the other two in our room and told them that we are going to look at some pictures of who could possibly be their future brothers.  I knew then that we could not keep it from them while we worked through the medical issues.  We needed to be in on this as a family.    (I wish so much that someone could have been here to take pictures of us seeing their pictures for the first time like so many of you do, but there was no way I was waiting for someone to come over.  I HAD to see those pictures!)

The kids fell in love immediately.   Even my youngest, who had her heart set on getting a little sister, tugged on my arm, and whispered, "Mom, it's okay! It doesn't matter that there's no girl." with a big smile.

My husband gathered us all up in a circle and we prayed.  It was a time I will never forget.

Then we called grandparents and told them the news.  It was so fun and exciting to surprise them so much!  Honestly, I was still questioning whether this was really happening.   My face was burning, the shaking had only gotten worse.

It was extremely emotional for all of us the rest of that evening.  We finally got the kids to bed and my husband got to bed, too, eventually.  After everyone was settled in, I stole off for my long-awaited time alone with the Lord to pour it all out.  I was up most of the night, praying, crying, praising, rejoicing.  There was so much to think over, so much to bring to the Lord, so many emotions.   We now had faces and names, a family history, a birthmom's name.  So much.  

We still had a few more days after this in which we talked to our international pediatrician.  I'll save that story for another post, but God brought us to just the right doctor.   My kids all felt strongly that no matter what the situation, these boys were family.  My 9 year old son said, "Mom, I feel like our family is in Ethiopia.  Can't we just move there to take care of them until we're allowed to bring them home?''   Hmm, sounds good to me!   He is also the one who told me that God can get us our FDL anytime He wants and I should have more faith.   He said that God is just giving us this time of waiting for the FDL as a test of our faith.  I know why Jesus preferred the faith of the little children!  :-)

We worked through our questions - and then on Thursday night, Tom and were alone in the car and we said, "It doesn't matter what happens, we know these boys are ours.  It doesn't matter what other information we may get.  We're moving forward."    We rejoiced together.  We prayed there in the car committing everything and everyone involved to the Lord.

Since that day, we have seen one amazing thing after another happen.  God has been so faithful.  So good. We cannot wait to get our boys home and in our arms.   God is moving mountains every day it seems and we believe He will watch over them and bring them to us at just the right time.

"How great are your works, O Lord,
Your purposes are very deep."  Psalm 92:5 

More Prayer Needed

No, this is not Part II of The Call yet...

I just feel the need to have as many people praying as possible right now for two specfic things:

1. We need to receive our I-171H or Favorable Determination Letter (FDL) in the mail by mid-week next week. We have been told by our local Office of Homeland Security that we should be getting it sometime next week. After talking with our case manager, I realize even more that we really need to get that form or we can not move forward with the boys' case. Please pray that it would come in by mid-week next week. 
2. The U.S. Dept. of State put out a notice yesterday that could affect all Ethiopian adoptions. We are unclear exactly of what the effect will be or when it will go into effect – we will get more news on that later. We are trying not to jump to any conclusions and are just waiting for our Case Manager to provide more details as they become known.   For now, please pray that our adoption will not be delayed. Those boys really need to get home.   I know that God knows all of this and it is in His hands. Please pray along with us.

"Do not be anxious for anything, but in everything, with prayer and petition, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:6   

The CALL!

Ok, so I'm a pretty private person.   It's hard for me to put out there personal experiences for anyone to read.  But the CALL stories of others have so motivated, encouraged, and inspired me.   I am hoping that our story will motivate and encourage others - especially those who are considering adoption.   So, here it is:

It was a dark and stormy night  It was a regular Monday.   We were doing school as usual.  I was watching a good friend's three kids for the day, so it was a little more noisy and rambunctious than usual, but all good.  The phone rang at 2:00.  I saw those magical letters on the caller ID - "AGC" - it was the agency!    It's always a good thing to talk to our CM.   She was calling to talk with me personally since she had been in Ethiopia when our dossier was approved and we hadn't talked yet.   She went over our parameters with me - ages 0-4 and, yes, we were open to boys, girls, whatever God had for us.  

I was already planning to call her that same day to ask her several questions that had been plaguing me.  So, we talked over my questions and she gave me very thorough answers.  We talked for about half an hour.  My heart was very much put at ease over the answers she had given me.  I asked her how many people were ahead of us on the siblings list going up through age 4.  She told me 3 or 4 families were on the list.  "OK", I thought, "that means we will be waiting for a long time."  I was good with that.  It was all in God's timing and I was at peace. However, I neglected to ask her how many of those families had specified gender preferences...

Another good friend came over shortly after that phone call with her two kids and we spent a couple of hours just enjoying each other's company while the 8 kids ran around and played.  It was a very nice afternoon.

Tom got home from work late, so I gave him his supper at the island and sat down with him.  I started telling him about my phone call with our CM and filling him in on her answers to my questions.   As I was talking, the phone rang at about 6:30.  I went over and saw "AGC" again on the caller ID.  That was strange.  I was curious why she would be calling again, but I certainly did not suspect anything.

OK - I've got to run - stay tuned for the next installment of "THE CALL".    Insert "As the World Turns" music at this point.  
 

Trust and Obey For There's No Other Way

I always think of my great grandmother when I hear this song.  Sweet memories!

The past days since 2/22 have been such a whirlwind.  There is so much I want to share about all that God has done.  I have finally caught up my personal journal, so I have a moment to blog here.  I don't want to miss recording a single detail of God's mighty work that is being accomplished.

As Tom and I had a short time together tonight to talk and discuss the many items that need attention right now, we were both overcome with emotion.  The thought comes continually to me:  God was only waiting for our YES. Once we said YES, He said, "I'll take it from here.  Do not be anxious about a thing.  I was only waiting for you to obey."

What has happened since our YES has been astounding.  We have grown more in this short amount of time than any other time in our lives.

What if we hadn't said YES?  We would be missing out on a myriad of God's blessings.  We would have remained in our safe little bubble, afraid to change things, afraid to take a risk...

And we would have missed out.  Oh, I thank the Lord that we are not missing out.  We are experiencing His power, His sovereignty, His plan, His love, His provision, in ways that we never imagined.

Each morning, I wake up with anticipation for what God is going to do today.  He has not disappointed me!  

If we would have said NO or NOT NOW, we would have looked back 10 or 15 years from now and said, "Why didn't we trust?  Why didn't we listen and obey when God was nudging us forward?"

Two little boys on the other side of the world from us are changing our world.   And not just ours.  They are changing the lives of all those who know about them.  Of those who are praying for them.  These little boys are causing others to trust, to grow, to believe, to see the power of God.  I pray that they know that their lives have such an important, eternal purpose.  

Tom and I have prayed that our story would cause others to consider adoption.   Well, just the picture of these two little guys has already done that.  God is answering our prayer.

If ever God is nudging you to say YES - not just to adoption (although we highly recommend it) but to any area of obedience - don't ignore it.   Say YES so that you can experience all that God has waiting for you.  Our part is to say YES, His part is to do the rest.  

Prayer Request Update:  We got word from our local USCIS office that we should be receiving our FDL within the next week!!!   Pray that this is so and we can move forward with confidence.   We have no update on the boys right now, but continued prayer is needed for the health.  Thank you so much!  

Favorable Determination Letter - Prayer Needed!

I'll make this short and sweet:

We have a specific prayer request.   We had our USCIS fingerprinting appointment on Friday.  The next thing is for those prints to be processed and then for the US to issue a Favorable Determination Letter. We cannot complete an adoption without that piece of paper.  In general, in our area, it appears that it is taking about six to seven weeks from prints to FDL receipt. We are praying that God would move that process along much more quickly than that.  I have a call in to our US Representative who can then request that this process be expedited for us.  I have left a message with his office.  I'm praying for a quick return phone call and quick action from his office on our behalf.  

There is a particular reason that we are especially needing to get these boys home quick other than our very strong desire to get them home.  

Will you join with me in praying for this?

Amazing Fact #1:  It was three months to the day from the day Tom said "YES" to adoption to the day we received the referral of our two precious boys.   Only God.