A Walk of Faith

We are stepping out on faith.

Since meeting our Bella's birthmom several months ago, we have prayed for the unborn child she is carrying. We really enjoyed meeting her, and have spent alot of time praying for her lifestyle, her safety and the wellbeing of this child. We figured this child would be another baby destined for foster care, since the birthmom has such a struggle with a typical, responsible lifestyle. We think of her as a sweet, kind woman who has made some very devasting choices. For herself, and her children.

This past week has connected us again with this young woman, due to the fact that she contacted an attorney with the intent to place this unborn child up for adoption. She has chosen us to become the parents.

We are getting used to the idea. We had hoped for it, and were actually very disappointed earlier in her pregnancy when she decided, against advice from her family, that she wanted to try to keep this baby. Without all the details put down here, let's just say we felt that was an impossibility for her to undertake, and 5 children have already been placed with other families. We did not understand how she thought she could raise a child, when so much of her life she was not able to even care for herself. So we prayed for her and the baby.

Now that we have been named as the prospective adopting parents, it changes several things in our home. First off, this is going to be an inner state adoption. I will need to live in the state where the baby is born until her adoption is secured. There is fingerprinting clearances that we will be waiting on results for, and all the piles of paperwork that the attorneys (ours and hers) need to complete. We will take physical custody of the baby upon her birth, but our family will be apart until it is final. Fortunately, we will be just across the state line, and I will not have to go for weeks without being with my other children. We will have a temporary home with a friend and I will still be able to be be a part of the daily happenings here. Fortunately, we had recently completed our Ethiopian homestudy, so that was a big piece of this puzzle that leads us to the new baby.

However, since our homestudy was done as part of our Ethiopian plans, we have now had to put the Ethiopian adoption off. Our homestudy states that each child must come in birth order, so with this baby coming to us in April, our International Adoption must be put on hold until the youngest is 9 months old. That isn't a big ordeal to us, except the paperwork will need to be started over in December. There will be little that will still be effective. Our hearts still consider a child across the seas that is going to be a part of our home eventually, and will follow the steps to where God leads us when the time is right.

We believe God has brought us to this point where we are available and nearly paper-ready to adopt domestically. It was not a part of our initial adoption plan, but we have found out that is exactly how God works. Our heart has always been to follow God's leading, especially since the last seven children entered our lives. We found out that God's plan is always a step above all that we could ask or think of, and we are excited about the new baby we are waiting for.

It's been interesting to hear others' views on our new baby. We find those who know us best can often be the most negative. We don't like to defend our decisions, but at the same time, how can we ever describe the plans God has for us? We just hope to be willing, prepared and faithful to HIS calling.

We will be excited to share our good news when the baby is born. It's a girl - and we can't wait to hold her, love her and introduce her to the family. Thanks for your prayers during the last few weeks she has with her birth mom before she enters this world.

We are stepping out on faith, believing God will meet all our needs. There are blessings ahead for our family, in the form of a tiny miracle that we didn't plan on. And that FAITH will carry us in the weeks and months ahead.

Afriopia

A sweet time in the evenings in our family is when the youngest 4 sit with me around my laptop and view pictures of children in Ethiopia. We are learning about their culture and Mere will often point to a child and say, "Aww, is that one our baby?"

She is also quick to notice children of color in our local market and will often pull on my shirt and whisper, "Is that one ours?" It's all such a mystery that even the little ones are excited to move forward and get introduced to who our next baby will be.

So, I trudge on. I printed the formal application to our new homestudy this week. The frustration mounts in my chest as I survey the whole process beginning again, and I try to reason myself out of the tedious, but needful, paperwork.

After all, we have another grandchild on the way. We are planning a vacation to the east coast to visit our two grandsons in July, and hope to go back in October for the new baby.

And our oldest daughter is getting married in August. Busy time for our family to make new memories.

And my parents are facing a tough decision with my youngest brother who will need to be transitioned into a new living facility that can meet his mental, social and emotional needs. They need our support right now, and they are not getting any younger.

My brother just had a heart attack and 4 bypasses. I have nieces having babies, other nieces going on mission trips, and cousins getting married. I have a son that is going to hit his first teen year in October, and he's already needing more attention and alot of help if he's going to be successful in Junior high in the fall.
Plus, I have a daughter who's 11 going on 16, not to mention the younger 5 sibs that keep us on our toes.

So, who needs Ethiopia??? Why are we driven to follow our heart there??

As the evening sun sets and little hands began rubbing sleepy eyes, the littlest ones gather around and want to snuggle as we look at pictures of children that resemble the ones implanted in our hearts many months ago. The children that God impressed us with who are waiting for us so many miles away.

Because of Mere, who tells anyone who will listen that we have a new baby brother or sister waiting for us in AFRIOPIA - and as it warms my heart, it also gives me the next push to grab that pen, finish the paperwork and send it off to the ones who are responsible to get us going in the right direction.

God implanted the desire in our hearts, and the little hands and eyes around us remind us that someone is missing from our clan, and soon, very soon, all the setbacks will be over and we will be with the child who is meant to be a part of our family forever.

Keep searching, Mere. Afriopia, as she says, is not so very far away if you can believe in the plan God gave us with the simple faith of a child.