Adoption!

For those of you who have not heard our big new, we are adopted a baby!

The beginning of December Josh and I were on a date when I said to him, I think the Lord may be putting adoption on my heart again. He right away said then we should do it. I was surprised by this because Josh doesn't usually say yes right away and needs time with change. 

We both decided to ask and seek the Lord in the next week. I felt the Lord's peace and Him affirming. The last few months on a healing journey with my friend from a horrible childhood made me feel we could help and love another child. Josh had been going through the Experiencing God Bible study and knew God was leading him to adopted again. When Josh had his time with the Lord he read Psalm 127. Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. Josh felt the Lord confirmed we were to adopt a son.

So we met with Adoption Associates and where my oldest sister just happens to be the director. She was excited because they were about to put out an newletter asking for more adoptive families of children of any race. It is always a need. We felt the Lord sent us and she felt the Lord send us to them. It is absolutely the Lord! From there we got started on the process.

A week later when Lydia and Grace came home for Christmas break from college, we felt we should share with the kids. I think I was so consumed in the whirwind of Jesus calling us to adopting and starting the process in less than two weeks time, I didn't plan telling the kids very well and didn't expect the big, beautiful reaction.  So after supper Josh told the kids we had something to share with them, we feel the Lord leading us to adopt another child. The girls all screamed with joy!!! Makai was totally startled (he hates loud, unexpected noises) and started to cry. Luka was playing it cool.

Once we got Makai settled he was so excited and said his tears where happy tears. We shared and they asked questions. You see our kids have been asking since we adopted Makai for us to adopt again. Makai has been asking for the last year. He told Josh to pray for a baby and Josh prayed a simple, vague prayer. Makai said no, like this. "Dear God please give us a baby, amen. There Dad, it's gonna happen!" Don't you love childlike faith?! He also tells us he wants twins and I don't have faith that will happen - God knows my limits. The kids were talking about names (like Arrow from Ps. 127). Grace was texting her friends then she said this is the best Christmas present ever! I was very surprised our kids over the top joyful response. They were more excited than me. What amazing kids we have! We're all in.

I'll be honest my joy and peace hasn't always remained. Doing the homestudy in our last month in Michigan and transitioning back to Uganda has made me really question, can I do this? Sometimes I was almost panicking, I can't do this! I wanted to back out on fear and selfish feelings. But God continues to speak to me. It is true I can't do it, but God called us and He will do it in and through me. This is trusting in the Lord. Depending on Him in all my weaknesses. In my Experiencing God Bible Study it reminded me that you don't make decisions based on feeling, situations or experiences. You make decisions based on that is right in God's Word. Based on Truth. I was also encouraged by a book I heard about on the radio called Chosen. Building Your Family the way God Builds His. The author says we don't adopt out of biology but theology. Adopted people, adopt people. Chosen people, choose people. That's us! The author affirmed that adoption is a spiritual battle because satan wants nothing to do with brokenness being loved and healed through adoption. Josh is always saying and telling others, we adopt because God adopted us. It is the Father's heart and it is showing the Gospel to the world. 

Another way I was so very encouraged was through my friend Rebecca. My dear friend had a horrible childhood and when I told her we were going to adopt again she was so, so happy and cried. I told her she was one of the reasons we were going to adopt. She thanked me because this child will be so loved. Her rejoicing with me was just what I needed. She didn't think we are crazy, even though we are 47 years old, she knew our family could love another child who needs our love. She text me later saying, "What's not to be excited about?! This baby that God has for you is going to be loved beyond measure and that my dear friend makes my heart so happy." A few weeks later I shared with her that moving back to Uganda made me feel like I can't do this. She encouraged me that I can. All I was called to do was love this child and she said I was made to love.

Once we knew we were adopting we began to pray for our child. When we began the process til we get back to the States is 9 months, so it just may be that God called us the same time He was creating His child. And this baby has been prayed over each day of his life. Beautiful. I love hearing Josh pray for our baby and our kids, but I find it very powerful when I pray. The first time I prayed for him it felt like a spiritual victory and declaration. This baby is the Lords, God is the author of his life, He is making him, He is with him in the unseen place, He knows the plan for him, He protects him, forms him, loves him, this baby is God's child! So, no weapon formed against him will prosper! No trauma, pain or lies in Jesus name. We pray for the birth mother to love this child and do loving things for her baby. We pray she and birth father come to know the Lord through this life. Our child is God's child and He will never leave him and will always and forever love him. Thank you God for Your promises! We trust You.

Please join us in praying for our baby and for the Lord to prepare us. We plan to come back to Michigan the first of August. We will have a short home study on the house we will be staying in and then we will be ready to welcome our baby home. Of course we don't know God's timing, but we'll be ready in August. If the adoption is a safe delivery, which is how we got our precious Makai, we will get a call from Adoption Associates and have 24 hours to go to the hospital to get our baby. (A safe delivery in Michigan is when the birthmother can tell the hospital she cannot care for this child, her rights are terminated and the child will go right into an adoptive family, no foster care.) Big changes coming! Thanks for praying with us.