Share our JOY!!!! (times 2)

Make a Joyful noise to the Lord for he is good, his love endures forever!!!

We are more than delighted to share the news that we have accepted referrals for 2, count them 2 new kiddos! We will be parents to 8 - GOOD GRIEF!! Never in my life did I think I'd be saying that!!!

We have a new soon to be son E. who is 8/9 and a new soon to be daughter A. who is 6/7. For those of you keeping track we also have a soon to be 8 year old daughter at home already - so in about 8 years our car insurance is going to be more than our mortgage (or food bill!!)

These 2 cuties - and you have to trust me they are SUPER cute!!! came to us via a waiting child list with our agency AAI. The great difficulty with doing everything in reverse is that you are behind on the paperwork! We have been hurrying to get everything in for our dossier and managed that with some last minute FedEx help this week (How could I send the whole thing in and miss just one piece??? Seriously those of you who know me in real life know that is crazy!)

So how did we know these were the kids? Well let me tell you!!!! Even before we picked up the amazing Miss Becca we knew we'd be going back - from the very beginning of our adoption adventure I have felt like God had 3 kiddos for us, so when we got one the first time we just knew we'd be back! Our hearts were greatly moved while in Ethiopia for the older kids who were in care at the various orphanges that we visited so we determined that this time we wanted to adopt those who most needed a family - I searched and searched waiting child lists for that moment of "these could be our kids", and I was always drawn to 8 year old boys and 6 year old girls. These two kiddos are ones that we just couldn't shake out of our minds and hearts - their smiles, their stories - well they touched our hearts deeply and we knew, just knew that they were ours. We commited in our hearts to adopt them a week and a half ago, just about on the same day (plus a year) that we commited to adopt Becca.

So what comes next? our paperwork is being authenticated and then will be sent to Ethiopia and what ever needs to happen next will over the next 10+ weeks - there is no way we will make the court closure. At this point I am praying for the miracle of having them home for Christmas (American or Ethiopian) and believe me that will take a miracle - BUT our God is a God of miracles, a God of signs and wonders, and the Father to the fatherless - which praise Jesus these two are no more. God sets the lonely in families and we are thankful that sweet little A and grinning little E. will be joining our family at the appointed hour.

So friends pray for us as we bring home these precious children - pray that the wait will be short (really short!) - pray for favor on our paperwork to be processed quickly- pray that the kids files are complete and ready to go - pray that the kids stay healthy - and most of all pray for all the orphans who are still waiting for their families to find them, and join God as He moves across the nations on behalf of the fatherless - come friends join this move of God.

(P.S. for those of you already wondering if we are taking the whole family back to ET - we don't know yet - we'd love too but God would have to open the storehouses of heaven over our bank account - or shower us with airline miles instead of water!!!)

A move of God

In the church we are always talking about the next move of God - what God is doing next in our world in our lives. Sadly I think the church is misssing it - the next move of God isn't about buildings or big meetings it is about revival of the family - the rehoming of millions of orphans around the world. Most churches ackn owledege that care for the orphan is important and but they don't see it as world changing - as a move of God. And that is too bad. It is too bad that more Christians aren't awake to how God is changing the world - how he is moving on behalf of the orphaned.

When we first began our adoption process we were quite naive - just choosing to follow where God was leading us. And our eyes were opened - I think that happens alot. If you read peoples journeys you see lots of folks who orginally adopted a baby and then their eyes were opened and they saw the potential to be part of something amazing - a differnt kind of family where the kids arrive at all ages and stages and abilities and challenges. Time and time again I meet folks who adopted a baby and then a special needs child or a pre teen, or teenager - Time and time again I meet folks who have caught God's heart for this age - who have seen God on the move and joined him.

This is not a time for the church to be fearfull, to have it's head stuck in the sand - it is the time for our eyes to be wide open.

All over again

Well - the news we got wasn't what we had hoped for. The children we were interested in were referred to another family - which is great, but still dissapointing. So we are back to the beginning of looking at waiting children - and trying to choose. We are trusting that God will show us who he has for us - and we can't wait to see!!

Overwhelmed

Aaaaarrrggghhh!!! This time last year we were waiting, waiting, waiting. (in the grand scheme of things not long - but longer than anticiapted) and now an entire year later we are waiting again - but this is harder because we think we might know who our kids are - but have been waiting a month for more information and no end is in sight and that kind of "unknown" is really, really, really difficult. We aren't waiting for kids to be relinquished or "found" but rather looking at some kids from a waiting child list - whose pictures made our hearts sing. And so I am overwhelmed with the waiting..... and still hoping everyday for the email that fills in the blanks and shows us the next step.....

The Copes come to visit!!

Our big girl and her sweet family came to visit!! We had a great time at the zoo and Royal Gorge - really wore the toddlers out!!! and tons of fun just playing and eating good food! We already miss them sooooo much!

What a full house we had!!! All six of our kids and our son in law and 2 grand kids too - we were bursting at the seams - but it was soooooo fun!