The Best Day Ever!

Isaiah 49:13
Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

I would have never thought on Friday morning that I would be sharing with you the news that I am about to. And, for some of you, if you received an email, these words may sound familiar but there is some new stuff too :)

We had spent a lot of time,this past weekend, in prayer before the Lord asking for His grace and mercy and, if it be His will, that we might get a referral sooner than later. I had no idea as I prayed, that sooner would mean first thing Monday morning!!!!

I got an email from CWA with a list of some children that were ready to be adopted. I looked at them, felt a tug on my heart in regards to one of the cases and then forwarded them on to Bryan to get his take (without telling him what I was thinking or feeling). He called me and said that although he had been feeling very strongly that a sibling group was what we should pursue there was one little boy that stood out to him and, in my husband's words, "Kristin, I think he belongs in our family!" It was the same boy that I had seen and felt my heart break and leap all at the same time. It broke thinking about the situation he was in..but it also leaped at the thought of giving him a forever home.

He is 6 years old and his dad died of AIDS and his mom is sick with AIDS too and can no longer take care of him. Sadly, AIDS is a death sentence in Ethiopia. He has been in the orphanage since the beginning of April. And I couldn't help but smile at some of the notes on him...they said he is excited to go to America and wants to become a doctor. We couldn't help but think he might feel that way because of the death and sickness he has been surrounded by.

We felt an almost instant pull, we believe, from the Lord to pursue adopting him...but at the same time felt a level on confusion. He was the only one that we felt we should adopt from the list. There was not another child to "pair" him up with. So, to say "yes" to him meant that we would be adopting only him. We knew we had time to think about it and pray about it .... because we fully believed God was calling us to adopt two children.

So, I sat at the computer just praying God would give us wisdom, but as I sat there, I also just laid out my heart to Him...He knows it already, right?!!! I just simply said, "Oh Lord, I wish that there was some way that we could bring home a little girl, too."

A few minutes after praying, I opened my email...and this is what I read from one of the gals at CWA:

Kristin,

I know I said I didn’t think we had any little girls coming available anytime soon, but I was wrong!

Here is little "E", approximately 4 years old, in Soddo orphanage. She is also available for adoption, and you would be free to consider her as well.

If you wish to adopt her, you could pair her with one of the unrelated boys, possibly, if you were interested in taking that route. Of course, you can choose whatever route you prefer.

Can you believe it?!!!!! My heart was pounding as I called Bryan. The decision seemed like an easy one to make...one literally handed to us by God Himself! It didn't even matter what she looked like or anything...we knew that this was the girl we should pursue to become our daughter! I couldn't help but think of Hannah's words in I Samuel 1:27, "For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me the petition I made to him."

Sweet E's mommy died two years ago of malaria and her dad took her to the orphanage last month. Although these two precious children are not siblings they are in the same orphanage (what a blessing!!!). They arrived at about the same time and we rejoice that they are living together right now.

We will have to get our home study amended (I talked to my social worker yesterday and she hopes to have that done by the end of the week) and we are looking at about $3,500 more in fees because they are not related and there is more paperwork, etc. We, most likely, will not get in before the courts close due to a large amount of paperwork and medical reports (but, with God, all things are possible, right?!!!). We know that we may still have a long wait ahead of us but we are at peace and rejoicing in what we believe God is doing. We are a little stunned with how quick it is all happening...but do not feel as though we are rushing or being impatient. We are just taking the next step!!!

Samuel and Caleb will always hold a special place in our hearts...and while they may not have been loaned to us by God as Micah, Grace, Faith, Titus and, Lord willing, "A" and "E" are...they are forever adopted into our circle of prayer....prayer that they will grow up to love Jesus with all their hearts and minds and strength! So, we are not saying good bye to them and hello to new faces, we are just asking God to enlarge our hearts for all of them and anyone else the Lord may have planned for our family one day.

This morning, as we prayed as a family, Micah got all choked up as he thanked the Lord for today being the best day ever...that even though we were not going to be adopting S and C, God had given him a new brother AND a new sister and today was the best day ever!
He is right, isn't he?! When we are walking with the Lord, trusting His plan and His timing, resting in His Sovereignty...every day can be the best day ever!

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!"
Psalm 118:24