Invited to walk on water

Invited to walk on water
sisters and brothers waiting on one more

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Learning to walk!...Celebration, brokenness and prayer for the hurting.

June 27, 2015
LOOK WHO'S WALKING!!!
As I learn to walk by faith, stumbling along the way towards a beloved African treasure, look who is learning to literally walk!  He took his first steps this week at 17 months old!  This BIG DEAL was preceded by three sessions per week for the last 9 months from OT, PT and early intervention specialists.  Look at him go!!!


Treasuring the blessings at home as we wait to embrace Mohale.  (They will look like "twins"  I've always adored the thought of twins.  Perhaps this is why:)

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Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
Prov. 13:12

It is June again.
We are at a stand-still again waiting on signatures.

Nothing seems fast enough when love is calling. 
Even surrounded by precious treasures and inexplicable faithfulness of God, my heart feels deeply grieved today...  It was in June of last year that Mohale's adoption to our family was completed within the beautiful country that cradles him.  We were not present, though celebrated in hope that we would soon embrace our son.  Over one year and much red tape later, we ache for hope.  It's hard to admit that, even with all the miracles behind us, I struggle trying not to worry his re-adoption won't happen.

I struggle over frightening "what if's."  

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick."
This week my gaze slipped and my heart has felt horribly dry and sick.


And as we wait, we continue to pray for others in need of hope.

Countless families wait for their beloved and stuck treasures.  My friend Kathy and her family, along with over 130 other waiting American families, have been waiting over 2 years to embrace their adopted children.  Benny and Shiloh, remain stuck in deplorable conditions within orphanages in the D.R. Congo.
Another family in Bolivia has been jumping through hoops in hopes of adopting three siblings.
Several friends, like thousands of others, love foster children indefinitely as they wait for courts to decide permanent placement while praying the court decision won't result in further abuse of the child they love.

While some rejoice,

others we know are recently grieving.

Tears have flowed heavily this year.

Grief is complicated- especially when, from our vantage point, it appears that injustice won.

  
Hope springing up

Praying: 

Dear God,
You say you are close to the brokenhearted.  Let each of these hurting children and each of the hurting families actually feel You, our Comforter, close to their hearts.  Bring peace in the darkness.
Show them Hope- when grief and cruelty have blackened out hope.
Breathe for them when it hurts too much to breathe.
Bring peace when fear rages loud.
Cause them see redemption and unexpected purpose to rise. 

Break the hearts of social workers, judges, politicians and millions of others over the vulnerable children who wait without a voice.

Cause the red tape to untangle for Mohale's adoption, Benny and Shiloh's permission to leave the DRC, and countless other children in need of loving homes.
Cause adoptions around the world to expedite.
Cause judges to choose safe families over the risk of repeated abuse.

Show us anything we can do to comfort children who are orphaned but not adoptable.

"Tree" by Sierra age 6

Gratefulness shouts within my heart that Mohale, and those around him, are surrounded by beautiful love as we wait.
He is truly safe, healthy and happy and unaware of this wait- because of those who have dared to step out and love- knowing their hearts will break.
Bless those who dare to love your treasures while knowing their hearts will ache.  
Send more of us to do the same. 

Praying today for multitudes of orphaned children and foster children who are not living in good conditions.  Dearest Father, fill them with Your peace and fatherly love in their often cruel darkness.  Bring light to them.  Break these children free to be embraced by Your love.  Send more people to love and care for them as Mohale is so beautifully loved.

********

As precious Baby J is learning to walk, we are crazy happy and loud with shouts of praise and celebration.  I love to hug this precious love (we all do!)  And then, we are learning to walk also....by faith, in grateful trust as our hearts so deeply ache to hold Mohale.

Please pray with us for the necessary signatures to happen so our walk towards Mohale can continue.  Please pray with us for each child who waits and for each person who has stepped out towards voiceless children in any way.

Thank you for praying with us.

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Happy Birthday!!! Sierra turns 6!

Sierra is 6!!!

As we wait for a beloved treasure so far away, 
today we CELEBRATE another Birthday!   

I can't believe that our girl is 6!!  

It feels like only yesterday when we got "The Call."  We'd told the county we will love any child, any disability, any race, either gender.  We had decided to say "yes" to the first two children in need of a loving home.

Sight unseen, files unread, we were committed to love and care for her as our daughter for as long as she would be allowed to stay.

(I was scared. But God's love coaxed us out of the boat.)
BIG CHICKEN.

The next day our social worker dutifully went over Sierra's file and history with us so we could sign papers to bring her home as our foster to adopt daughter.  Then, this picture came to my email.  It's the first picture we saw of our daughter.

She was 9 months old.  


One week later, we met her.  
That moment changed everything for our family.  
This powerful little
Princess impassioned our hearts.

This is the day David met Sierra- Two months later, her first word was "Dada!"
Grateful. 

Today she woke up to a bedroom that had been decorated by her sisters Ianna and Leora as she slept. It was filled with balloons.

Then, also arranged by her oldest sisters,

Spa Time:  
(This video the sister's made is precious!)




Complete with lipstick, glitter and a crown...


Then came her birthday photo shoot. Sierra's favorite kitty just couldn't stay away...


Big sister and little sister

The resulting photo

Sierra and Silver.  This kitty would not stay out of the pics-



Big brother Liam made her cake!


Cupcakes by Leora
Sierra's sweet, young life has already melted hearts.  Numerous families have been changed because of her... Parents have signed up to love children through foster care or adoption after meeting Sierra. Several children have been especially adored by foster parents until their families could bring them home.
Families have been created. 

Precious daughter, 
You were created within your beloved, adoring and precious birthmother's body for a purpose- to be loved and and then to reflect His love.  You are gracious, generous, grateful, thoughtful and sweet- you are deeply beautiful. 
You are loved crazy, unimaginably Big.  ALL THE TIME.