The documents, that is. Not me. Yet. (I'll be off in T minus 5 hours).
UPS will deliver our little miss's documents, to those whom process such precious paperwork, this Thursday morning. The first stop for said paperwork is in Dallas, TX where it will get logged and then sent to Lee's Summit, MO to actually be processed. Seems a bit silly for me, who lives 1/2 hour away from the second location, not to just be able to drive it there (saving time and money), but I checked. It can't be done. However, the great news is that by the time I arrive back in the country, it should be in the correct hands and I should be able to contact someone about our case. I am hopeful that because her health concerns (lack of gains) are noted in our Ethiopian paperwork, things might go a little faster on the U.S. side of things.
I still can't even believe how this is unfolding.
To say that I am in awe would be an understatement at this point. Praise for what God has done and IS doing will not cease. People, He is good. He knows our heart's cry. He is FOR us. He LOVES us more than we can ever hope to comprehend........can we even hope to let all that God is soak in?
Discovering more of God's goodness and grace is something that will ever continue and surprise me as I learn day by day to yield and trust the lover of my soul.
I am living in absolute wonder.
Can't help myself - it is Tuesday and this tune of praise will not leave my mind. Take a moment, listen & praise Him with me!!!! He is worthy of praise!
*if you are getting this via email just do it.....click on the title - listen & praise!
I will be doing my best to keep the blog updated while I'm away, so stay tune :)
Multiplied
by Need to Breathe
Your love is like radiant diamonds
Bursting inside us we cannot contain
Your love will surely come find us
Like blazing wild fires singing Your name
God of mercy sweet love of mine
I have surrendered to Your design
May this offering stretch across the skies
And these Halleluiahs be multiplied
Your love is like radiant diamonds
Bursting inside us we cannot contain
Your love will surely come find us
Like blazing wild fires singing Your name
God of mercy sweet love of mine
I have surrendered to Your design
May this offering stretch across the skies
And these Halleluiahs be multiplied
(Multiplied)
(Oh multiplied)
God of mercy sweet love of mine
I have surrendered to Your design
May this offering stretch across the skies
And these Halleluiahs be multiplied
These Halleluiahs be multiplied
(Your love is like radiant diamonds)
(Bursting inside us we cannot contain)
(Your love will surely come find us)
Like blazing wild fires singing Your name
Of course you are - if you've been hanging around my blog for any length of time.
In fact, seeing how my family has had such slow and/or no movement for months and months on end, and you folks STILL find yourself reading? You all should be given some sort of reward. Like maybe an exciting finish to this story?
This will not disappoint!
Rhonda and I leave tomorrow afternoon for our big trip - and in light of last week's amazing news......I was SO hopeful that while in country, little miss's paperwork would be ready so I could hand carry it home with me, and the next phase of the process could begin. I thought that would have been the best case scenario.
Turns out it wasn't.........best case scenario was better than that :)
The paperwork I was hoping for? Showed up TODAY!
Yes.
Today!
I was gone most of the day at work, when I arrived home there was a sticky note on our front door letting me know that we had missed a Fed Ex delivery that needed to be signed for. Since we weren't expecting anything else, and we KNEW the paperwork would come via Fed Ex, I got on the phone to see if I could figure out just who shipped the package. They were able to tell me quickly - it was from Ethiopia. I about fell out of my chair!
Since I missed the delivery I had to wait a few more hours until it would be at the main pickup center, so once I gathered my other kiddos from school, shared the news (which evoked some shrieks!) we headed off to collect the most glorious package ever to be mailed. EVER.
I am in awe. In absolute awe at the sheer orchestration of events in the last few weeks. Seeing God's story for my family and this little gal unfolding the way it is. You see, not only did we get the paperwork quickly from when the last doc was miraculously obtained last week, these docs came the day before I am leaving the country. Which means that I am mailing it off right before I leave TOMORROW and it will start getting processed and we will start moving forward while I am in country lovin' on my little miss! Had I gotten the docs in Ethiopia? We wouldn't get things mailed off for 2 more weeks.
Wow. Just wow.
Happy kiddos
One excited mama!
So I find myself leaving the country tomorrow, absolutely rejoicing in a way I never would have imagined just 8 days ago. Incredible. God is so faithful. I will get to love on my sweet girl - knowing that it won't be too long until Jason & I can come and give her a loving family for good!
Please be praying for our health and safety as we travel, also that my little miss (who now is older and therefore more aware than last time) again warms up to me quickly. Also keep my family who are left behind in your prayers as well. That time would go fast for them and be packed full of fun of their own! (lots of grandma time :)
No seriously. If you are standing, you will want to sit for this news.
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Tiny Miss Mighty's regional clearance came in. Yes. REGIONAL. The region decided to fix the clerical issue after all and not re-process her as if she was a new case (since she has already had this clearance before), due to her health concerns. All her paperwork should now be present and accounted for. WAHOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Talk about a breakthrough and answer to prayer!
What does that mean? We are hopeful that when I get in country next week, I will be able to HAND CARRY HOME her paperwork that we need to submit for the next step in the process. It means that after 6 months of standstill we will finally begin moving forward!
This is BIG NEWS!!!!!! (which is why I'm shouting it at you in all caps) Jason even admitted to printing said paperwork when the news came in and even hugging it a bit ;)
Seriously, IT IS A MIRACLE! The odds were stacked against us in the natural, this feels equivalent to a burning bush that not being consumed by the flames, or a man who was blind from birth receiving his sight......it is THAT BIG!
I am in awe.
Completely in awe.
God is good. All the time.
God was good last week when the news was that we were going to have to wait longer, and He is good now that this news has miraculously come in. God is good.
His name be praised! May God be glorified in it and through it all!
So within the next week and a half, I will be headed out of the country to visit a place that contains one of the sweetest faces to grace the world. I am hoping, yet again, to bring a bunch of needed items along to donate to those who desperately need them.
Confused? Feel like you missed something? The story behind it was awesome. Click here to catch up (hint: it's toward the bottom!)
The quick sum up is that my friend Rhonda is traveling back solo to pick up her son and bring him home as her husband hates to travel. Obviously I can't just willy nilly head out of the country whenever I'd like - but was kicking the idea around and praying that if I was supposed to go that God would confirm it. The money for the plane ticket was amazingly provided in full (through others who were not asked). Umm. Confirmation.
The plans and provision for this trip unfolded two weeks before it became clear this week that our little miss will be in country for much longer than anticipated and hoped for.
Again, grace.
Not only will I be able to see my sweet girl, not only will I be able to be a travel companion and help to Rhonda as she travels home with her little dude, but I should be able to meet with the pediatrician and discuss little miss's care now that it has been extended. This is important for so many reasons - but the main one is that she is just not gaining weight well. She will go a months time with not one ounce of gain. Might not seem like a big deal to some, but folks, she is teeny tiny. I don't ever get too specific on a public forum (because like it or not there are those who are anti-adoption and could try to use info such as her actual name, age, region, etc. for not positive purposes) But I will tell you this - Little miss is still just over the birthweight of my oldest bio son.......we have had her referral for six months, and she was not a newborn at referral. Weight is an issue. Folks. That is teeny. We continually praise the Lord that her immune system is strong, but we do think about how this slow growth could potentially be affecting her development, which is why this visit in country with her pediatrician is SO important.
Whew.
I am hoping to again help support Embracing Hope Ethiopia by bringing clothing with us for their organization. The program works with 174 children and their mothers. EHE helps bridge the gaps that could end up in a child being orphaned (relinquished by the mother because they literally can't support their child and they want them to survive). It is orphan prevention at it's finest!
So why clothing?
Two times per year each child in the program receives a new outfit, coat for the rainy season and new shoes after the rainy season has ended. I wondered (and voiced) when we visited previously, if it wouldn't be more beneficial to purchase the clothing there rather than bring it.....however, as we have found to be true, some things are oddly more expensive there then here. Clothing is one thing that can not be purchased as inexpensively as it can be here in the U.S. Which is why it is a huge blessing to them to have it provided.
So what is needed?
Clothing sizes 6 months to 4T. Short and long sleeved shirts (no tanks), pants (no shorts), jackets, winter coats, shoes (not really sure what that would be, maybe size 1 to 6?). Used clothing is TOTALLY FINE. My local people, if you've been hanging onto clothes that you need to get rid of, I'd love to take them off your hands - they are guaranteed to go directly onto a child that needs them!
I mentioned in my last post that a meeting was scheduled to take place this past Monday, between little miss's orphanage and the people that could give us the paperwork we need - what I did not realize is that this meeting was specifically just about little miss and that last document. The orphanage was presenting her case hoping, that due to her size and health, they would make an exception in requiring the last needed changed (since what we are waiting on is a clerical change, as she had already been cleared through this same regional process before her referral to us) What would be simple fix here in the states and take less than a minute to fix, is not so there. There is no set timeline for these types of forms to be processed - as in could take months or could take a year (which is obviously problematic for a very low weight child who isn't gaining) - which is why the orphanage was requesting an exception.
After talking to our agency Wednesday afternoon, we found out that the meeting did take place, however there would be no exception made. That not only does little miss need the regional document, but the zonal document as well. Apparently the zonal was recently re-done, however it didn't reflect the correct change and now has to be re-done again. The zonal has to be completed before the regional can even be asked for. So now we are waiting for TWO documents, one at a time. Both that have no estimated timeline of completion, because the folks that sign these documents are politicians - this isn't their main job, just a teeny tiny portion of their job.
Yeah, I know. Not the news you want to hear.
So what does this mean? More waiting. So much so that our program director won't even throw us a guess, because it is literally out of their hands. Things get done when they get done and no faster, in country. That is the reality. The only thing that the agency could do at this point would be to issue us a new referral.....which let me tell you, letting go of little miss's referral just because of excess wait time for us, when she needs an advocate? NOT.AN.OPTION. Needless to say, Wednesday there were EXTREME amounts of tears shed at the ridiculous situation that we find ourselves in.
Just so you all know - what we are going through with this adoption? IT IS NOT NORMAL.
I can't tell you the scores of other families that I have seen, all through our own agency, that this whole adoption thing has worked out for. Some fast and hitting no bumps, some slow and hitting snags - but no one like this.
I am not exaggerating. NO ONE.
This fact was brought up by our program director on Wednesday.
Our snags? These things that have happened in our process? The way our 1st referral was dramatically lost at court? (and the craziness surrounding that) This long paperwork wait for a child who was already "paper ready", and now we are at 6 mo. past referral with no end in sight?
Unprecedented.
Yes, unprecedented. That was the word he used.
They have never seen this happen to anyone else - let alone BOTH things happen to the same family.
Do you want to know something awesome? (of course you do, I just gave you all this dreary news) Right after that phone conversation? God reminded me of something. Something that my mom had felt was a word for us MONTHS ago (like last Fall 2013, months ago). Something that at the time when she told me felt significant enough that I wrote the references on a note card and stuck it in my bible and it has been there ever since. Something that, at the time when she voiced it to me, seemed out of context because I was not even really struggling.......
The word she felt like was for my family? It was spot on.
A Word for when there were no words.
Down to the exact verb-age. When something could so easily plant and work it's way in my emotions/thoughts at that moment hearing, it was replaced. It was immediately replaced with a promise - what was said was replaced with hope.
You all - I can not express to you the HOPE I feel in spite of what looks to be our circumstance....that fact alone is supernatural! It was as if He was speaking directly to me at that moment. To have that word in advance. Already waiting in the wings. Already bookmarked in my bible - for the exact moment it was needed.
That my friend, is grace.
Let it be known, this situation isn't what I would ever choose on purpose, but I know that God's plans are not my plans, that His ways are higher than my ways. He sees the overarching picture and has plans beyond my comprehension -
because He promises to use ALL THINGS for my good, He will use even
this. I am CHOOSING to cling to what I know though the circumstances continue to look rough. God is good. God loves me, my family & my little miss. I don't know what blessings He has in store through this - but I can only imagine that they also will be beyond words.
His grace is sufficient for me.
Please be praying for little miss as she continues to wait and we continue to advocate for her. That we would be given clarity and wisdom, and that she would remain healthy while remaining in group care for longer than we'd like. Also please be praying for direction for us as a family - that we would be able to discern where God is leading us as we leave ourselves open to Him as this adoption continues to unfold and God writes the story.
Can't help myself........I love this new song. Worth a listen :)
Overwhelmed
by Big Daddy Weave
I see the work of Your Hands
Galaxies spin in a Heavenly dance oh God
All that You are is so overwhelming
I hear the sound of Your Voice
All at once it's a gentle and thundering noise oh God
All that You are is so overwhelming
I delight myself in You
Captivated by Your beauty
I'm overwhelmed, I'm overwhelmed by You
God, I run into Your arms
Unashamed because of mercy
I'm overwhelmed, I'm overwhelmed by You
I know the power of Your Cross
Forgiven and free forever You'll be my God
All that You've done is so overwhelming
I delight myself in You
In the Glory of Your Presence
I'm overwhelmed, I'm overwhelmed by You
God, I run into Your arms
Unashamed because of mercy
I'm overwhelmed, I'm overwhelmed by You
You are Beautiful, You are Beautiful
Oh God, there is no one more Beautiful
You are Beautiful, God you are the most Beautiful
You are Wonderful, You are Wonderful
Oh God, there is no one more Wonderful
You are Wonderful, God You are the most Wonderful
You are Glorious, You are Glorious
Oh God, there is no one more Glorious
You are Glorious, God you are the most Glorious
Maybe this is common knowledge, but I sure didn't put words to it until recently. I have been reading a new devotional, One Thousand Gifts Devotional by Ann Voskamp, which is what brought this revelation to the surface.
The devotional itself is one of thanksgiving. Encouraging the reader to see the everyday graces that God gives us each day, in the little things. Living in the now. Giving thanks for the now. Even listing them (I am currently on #125) so as to continually be aware of the gifts, of the graces we are given......to reflect back on, to stop and ponder. You know what starts to happen? It starts to change your posture, your approach. From "why aren't you doing such and such" - to "Wow. Look at all you are doing!"
Anyhow, I digress.
About a week into the devotional I came across one that was entitled "Trusting Grace". Here are some excerpts from that devotional that struck a cord with me......(from the below stars to the next set of stars her words, not mine)
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If I believe, then I must let go and trust. Belief in God has to be more than mental assent, more than a cliched exercise in cognition. What is saving belief if it isn't the radical dare to wholly trust? Pisteuo is used more than two hundred times in the New Testament, most often translated as "belief." But it changes everything when I read that pisteuo ultimately means "to put one's faith in; to trust." Belief is a verb, something that you do.
Then the truth is that authentic, saving belief must be also? The very real, everyday action of trusting....then a true saving faith is a faith that gives thanks, a faith that sees God, a faith that deeply trusts.......
"Jesus replied, 'This is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe in the One Whom He has sent (that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger)'" (John 6:29 AMP) That's my daily work, the work God asks of me? To trust.
Sometimes, too often, I don't want to muster the energy. Stress and anxiety seem easier. Easier to let a mind run wild with the worry than to exercise discipline, to rein her in, slip the blinders on, and train her to walk steady in certain assurance, not spooked by the specters looming ahead.
And I know and haltingly confess (me too :) : Much of the worry in my own life has been a failure to believe.....a wariness to thank and trust the loving hand of God.....I know my supreme need is joy in God and I know I can't experience deep joy in God until I deep trust in God......trusting God is my most urgent need.
"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:32
He gave us Jesus. Jesus! Gave Him up for us all. If we have only one memory, isn't this one enough? Why is this the memory I most often take for granted? He cut open the flesh of the God-Man and let the blood. He washed our grime with the bloody grace. He drove the iron ore through His own vein. Doesn't that memory alone suffice? Need there be anything more? If God didn't withhold from us His very own Son, will God withhold anything we need?
If trust must be earned, hasn't God unequivocally earned our trust with the bark on the raw wounds, the thorns pressed into the brow, your name on the cracked lips? How will He not also graciously give us all things He deems best and right? He's already given the incomprehensible.
Christ is our Crossbeam.
The counting of all blessings is ultimately summed up in One.
The radical wonder of it stuns me happy, hushes me still: It's all Christ. Every moment, every event, every happening.
It's all in Christ and in Christ we are always safe.
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Good right?
It is amazing throughout this elongated, twisty-turny adoption process how much I battle (daily) to fight to trust and look UP. Trust is a truly a mental exercise. Reading this devotion validated what I am living through. Trust is active. I can't tell you how often I SO badly want to grab up my worry and fall apart comparing - and sometimes I fail miserably - BUT when I catch myself and stop to look at what God IS doing (and has done!) and not what he isn't doing (on my timeline), I have to give thanks. He.Has.Got.This. He is working for my good. Worry wants me to latch onto what ifs - Trust wants me to remember that it is not even mine to what if. God is writing the story. He has proven himself loving, good, faithful & sacrificial.....
....and trustworthy.
Actively trusting and looking up? That is the only thing that has kept me from being a ridiculous sac of sadness throughout all our snags. But even knowing and actively looking up, I realized recently that there has been piece of me that hadn't totally yielded. Not all in. I found myself riding this line of trusting God in the process, but not necessarily trusting that THIS little miss is the one. That THIS little miss will come home. I personally know what it is like to lose a referral.......so with that comes holding back.
With that little bit of holding back? It becomes hard to hope for the finale. The ending. Jason & I actually coming home with little miss mighty in our arms. Oh how I long for that, but somewhere along the way, I feel like I stopped seeing it.....it's been about this dragging on process and what God is doing in it, not the ending OF it.
Do you know ONE of my #125 gifts listed so far of the thousand? Support. All the support we've experienced over the last 2 years and more specifically prayer support, as of late, that we know is being lifted up on our and little miss's behalf. This is something that WAY back at the beginning of our adoption, before anybody knew we were even thinking about adopting, we were praying for. For support.
This week specifically, I had two timely words from two different people, which spoke DIRECTLY to the above. To the holding back of that last bit of trust - to, what at the time, I couldn't even voice.
One emailed and felt impressed to reminded me of two more names of God. Alpha & Omega - the beginning & the end. HE started this. He will FINISH it. Start proclaiming the end....."Little Miss is coming home."
Another pointed to a God worth trusting. How being in an extremely rough time herself many years ago and still not being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, she made the choice - to go with the old adage of putting all her eggs in one basket. She couldn't see the end, but put it all on God. He would see her through, even when she couldn't see the end. She trusted the end was written and God would prove faithful.
It was a gift.
The grace that I needed so desperately, right when I needed it. God is good!
I am trusting God for the end. Little miss mighty's homecoming.
Please continue praying for a supernatural breakthrough for our adoption process - I found out just today that early next week our orphanage is supposed to meet with the people who could give us the paperwork we need. Pray for favor and that her case would top priority.
If you've read through this blog post this far you deserve a reward. Whew. Long winded today :)
The sum up is that reward: Christ is all. Because of the example of sacrifice ALREADY shown to us, we know He loves us and is faithful.
I'm adding this song (even though it is a Friday, gasp!). How Great is our God by Chris Tomlin. Jesus came for all. Every tribe, every tounge, every nation........it says in the Word that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord - how grateful I am to be able to sing the praises of my God and hearing His name proclaimed by cultures worldwide is glorious. A piece of heaven on earth.
So.....if you've followed my blog for a while, you will recall the mentioning of an amazing ministry, Embracing Hope. This is one of the ministries I visited while in country back in May and one of the reasons that Rhonda and I looked high maintenance to our fellow travelers due to our crazy luggage load - ha! It was worth it, as we were able to bring them a lot of clothes, children's vitamins, infant vitamin drops & ringworm cream.
A new reader? Or a seasoned reader, but need a quick refresher?
Embracing Hope is a ministry that comes alongside the poorest of the poor families that live in Korah (the trash dump in the capital of Addis Ababa with a population of over 100,000 people) - Orphan PREVENTION at it's finest. In all honestly a refresher would never do this ministry justice, so please check out their website and more specifically a video about what they do, by clicking here.
Seriously. Do it. Check out the video!
These are some pictures of our EHE visit in May: (please keep reading!)
Pre-school classroom at Embracing Hope
Cook preparing the noon meal
This girl's facial expression was cracking us up :)
Nursing mamas or disabled mama's that work at EHE making baskets, beads and crafts to sell
Happy, Happy, Happy!
Snack time for the 2's & 3's
Excited kiddos - apparently LOVE visitors
So what is this opportunity I speak of?
The Shannon Family (who started Embracing Hope) are visiting the United States for a few months and will be here - in Liberty, MO speaking at my sister's church next Thursday, August 14th @ 7pm. This is an amazing opportunity to meet them and come and hear first hand about a ministry that is making a huge difference in the lives of so many people that find themselves in desperate situations.
I know that oftentimes I (and I can only assume others) want so badly to help, give and make a difference in some way - but honestly just don't know HOW.
Ummmm......people. Here is a big huge HOW - the opportunity to go and hear about this ministry first hand. From personally visiting them in country, hearing their story and seeing who and how they impact - this is a worthwhile ministry!
I know not everyone is called to go live and serve in a foreign country among those in need, but this is a great way to play a part in supporting those who do.
I know I am going!!!! I'd love for others to join me & the family too......
Thursday, August 14th @7pm
Desperation Church
940 Kent St.
Liberty, MO 64068
Just FYI - any support that I talk about here is directly for EHE. The Shannon family, are missionaries, but have their own support separate from Embracing Hope. Which enables 100% of all funds/donations to go directly to the support of the ministry itself.
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