A Much Needed Explanation

Tonight while praying Julia made this request of God, " That Jed's mommy won't be sad when we take her baby from her."

Josh quickly recognized the need for some explanation about adoption and what it means.  He explained at a six year old level that we do not take a baby from his mommy but that his mommy will give him to us.  He told her that sometimes when a mommy has a child with Down syndrome she doesn't know what to do so she wants someone else to take care of her baby. 

Julia's response,  "Good thing we know how to because we have Hannah."

Julia then had this thought. "When you have 99 babies your going to have to give some away."

Josh realized Julia needed some reassurance that we would not be giving her or her sisters away.  He told her we were keeping her, Sarah and Hannah forever.

What a gift it is to share these little moments of understanding with our kids.

God Speaks

I have two stories I want to share with you.  If you don't believe God speaks, I hope you will after you read these stories.

Story #1
After reading our blog a friend called and told me about a chapter in this book, "Real Moms...Real Jesus, that she wanted me to read.  The title of the chapter is, "The Truth about Faith".  The  chapter begins with a mother's conversation with her daughter and how they will no longer be able to buy her a car.  They needed the money in the savings account for a new well.  The daughter was disappointed but rested on the fact that she would pray and ask God to provide her with a car if it was in His will to do so.  She even went as far as asking God for a car that had an automatic transmission, four doors and was blue.  Not long after they received an e-mail asking if they would like a car.  This person was getting rid of a car and the family came to mind.  He also mentioned that the car was blue.  WOW!  Is God good or what.  God provided for this family in many ways that echoed our own experiences.  The last story they shared was what God wanted me to pay special attention to.  God called this family to adopt .  What was most exciting was how God provided for the expenses of their adoption.  Their adoption costs where more than double what ours will be but God provided.  They had bake sales and other ways they raised funds but they still had a balance of $15,000 after all they had done.  They knew God would provide and He did.  This family received a check for the remaining balance.  What an amazing God I serve!  God used this chapter to remind me not only of how He has provided so many times before but that He would still provide in our present circumstances.  After all God is the one who called us to adopt.  I can't wait to see how He provides this time!!!



Story#2
Many of you don't know this but I have struggled for many years with a fear of dying.  After having children that fear grew.  I have grown to trust that God did not give me the family and calling He has so I can die.  Unfortunately, the thought of flying to Hong Kong, to pick up our son, had brought all those fears back.  I would literally feel sick thinking about dying and leaving our girls with no parents.  That's when I received an e-mail from a precious friend who had no idea what I was dealing with.  Here is what she wrote...
"Wanted to let you know how excited I am for you and your growing family. As I was praying the other day I envisioned seeing you holding this little bundle in a blanket, and you handed him to me and I just started tearing up and praising God. It was very emotional for me and it sparked a huge excitement in me that hadn't been there before. I have to admit that I was concerned with the huge hurdles ahead but that vision just confirmed that it is already done. That baby is yours and it is just a matter of time until God fulfills His promise to you. I can only imagine what it all means to you."
I started to cry because God once again spoke to me.  He knew my fear and wanted me to see that I would be back sharing our son with a friend. That He would complete what He has started.  I love how God knows our hearts so intimately and there's not a thought we have that He doesn't know about.  He cares for us and He will always be there to carry use out of our fears.

1 Thessalonians 5:24-The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.


Praising God Always,

Preparation Class 1a

Tuesday Josh and I went to our first preparation class with the agency.  We learned a little more about the home study process which is basically an intense inspection of our family.  We also discussed joys and challenges that come with adopting children with different issues and backgrounds.  This was really fun because I had the opportunity to share the many joys of having a child with special needs.  I love telling people how wonderful life is with Hannah.  We also went over appropriate and inappropriate language to use when talking about the child we are adopting. 
 
So now we wait two weeks for the second half of the class which will involve conversations with other couples that have adopted from outside the country.  I am looking forward to hearing about and learning from their experiences.

Blessings,

Thank You!

When we started this process I was not sure how people would respond.  I must admit I prepared my heart for the worst.  I was prepared to stand my ground with confidence no matter what anyone said because when God calls us to do something the only choice we have is to do it.  If we don't we are the ones who miss out on the blessing.  So with feet firmly planted I began to share this news with a few people and before I knew it I was telling everyone.  The responses I received confirmed what I knew already.  So many expressed their excitement and I felt such joy coming from each response, not only for us but for our son.   This is so exciting for me because I know that when Jedidiah comes home he will be welcomed by the loving embrace of our friends and family.  Thank you all for allowing me the gift of support.

Blessings,

What's In a Name?

Jedidiah Nathan was the name God gave Josh long before we had any children.  We thought Sarah was going to be a boy so we had a name ready to go but God had better plans.  Josh and I made a deal, before kids, that I would name the girls and he would name the boys.  So far I have been blessed with the honor of naming our three precious girls with a little help from Josh.  Now it seems that Josh will get to use the name given to him so long ago.  Jedidiah means loved by the Lord and Nathan means God has given.  What an amazing name for a child God knew we would adopt, a child He would give us.  I am so excited for the day I get to hold our son and tell him how much God loves him.  How God hand picked him for our family so that we could have the honor and privilege of teaching him how much God loves him, how God prepared a name for him even before we knew he would come into our family through adoption. What a gift we have in knowing a Savior that cares about each of us so much!

In case your wondering:

Sarah Belle means Princess Beautiful
Julia Rae means Gentle as a Doe
Hannah Jordyn means Grace Flows Down

Blessings,

Family Picture

Hello All,

Along with our first application for the agency we were asked to take a family photo that showed the faces of everyone in our family.  I must admit I was a little nervous about taking this picture because with three kids you never know who will and who will not be in the mood for their best smile.  Here is the picture we have decided on.

Moving Forward

We have just finished filling out our first official application for Family Connection Christian Adoption (FCCA) and will be attending our first adoption class on September 21st. 

It's amazing, this adoption process!  I don't mean finding an agency or filling out paper work but what happens in your heart.  I have never met our son and yet, even now, I am brought to tears when I think about the first time I will see him.  I have this longing for a baby that I will never carry in my belly or go to countless doctor appointments hearing updates on his growth or listen to his heart beat in my womb.  I won't feel his little kicks against the inside of my belly or anticipate his arrival date.  What I get to do is pray for him daily and trust that God is there watching him every step of the way and that excites me!!!  There are so many things we will miss but at the same time so many things we will learn as we walk through this process of bringing our son home.  I look forward to this growth.

Blessings,

Bethany Christian Services

Bethany Christian was the agency we first looked into after hearing some great things about their services.  It was while searching their site that I felt lead to Hong Kong.  We knew we wanted a boy with Down syndrome (Ds) but were not sure were to go.  Bethany description for Hong Kong basically said:  The Hong Kong program mainly has boys with Down syndrome.  It was an immediate confirmation for me and so we decided to pursue this program.  This program also only requires us to travel for about five days, a huge thing since we have three precious girls we need to be here for.
Now starts the paper work.  We began filling out some forms and received approval from Bethany to move forward.  Since Bethany is out of state we tried to find a home study agency close by that would work with us and Bethany,  none was found.  I then received an e-mail, from Bethany, suggesting we work with another agency that has the same Hong Kong program because they have offices close by.  And so we waiting about a month and a half to meet with this new agency. 
I must take a moment and share that when all this started I felt God telling me to be patient and wait for His leading at each step.  Waiting for the meeting was a bit frustrating but it helped to slow me down and focus on what God was teaching me.  I know Gods timing is perfect and I want to make sure I follow Gods lead in the process to finding our son.
After meeting with the new agency we decided to proceed with them, Family Connections Christian Adoption.

Here we go!

So here I am starting a Blog that I hope will bless those reading it!  I honestly don't know where to start so let's go way back to the beginning.

A few months ago I came upon a website that had many pictures of children with Down syndrome(Ds) that are in orphanages in other countries.  The websites goal is to connect families, looking to adopt a child with Ds, with one of these children and giving these children their own "Forever Family".  This organization also helps you raise funds to help with the cost of adoption.  This site is www.reecesrainbow.com, but be warned you will need a box or two of tissues while visiting this site.
After reading about all the children and seeing their precious little faces I began to feel like we had to do something.  So after crying harder and longer than I had in 10 years I decide to pray and seek God for what he wanted us to do.  Does God want us to give and support a child finding their forever family or are we to pursue an adoption?  By the end of the day I had my answer.  After sharing this with Josh he agreed and so here we are getting ready for our adoption journey.