There is still a heartbeat!

Almost three weeks ago I described our adoption process, that of "losing" Samuel and Caleb, as very similar to that of losing our firstborn son, Garett.

Today, this description would not be accurate. Today I am reminded more of a time in my pregnancy with Micah. I was 16 weeks along and at my routine doctor's appointment. After checking all my vitals, my doctor proceeded to listen to the heartbeat. No matter how hard she tried, though, she couldn't find one. I remember feelings of shock...could this really be happening again...could we really have lost our second baby? She sent me up to the hospital to get an ultrasound. I remember sitting in the waiting room and just praying...praying that God would spare our baby's life but praying even more that He would prepare me for what lay ahead and that I would glorify Him and not sin in my reaction to whatever He had ordained.

They called me in and I laid on the table and watched as the screen showed a womb full of a baby. The technician found the heart and with a click of a button I saw with my own eyes...a heartbeat!!!! That was the day we found out we were having a little boy...a little Micah James!

And today, what we once thought was "dead", has been "brought to life again"...our adoption of Samuel and Caleb! As of today (we got the call at 6:30 am), the courts have legally given us the right to be their parents and, Lord willing, we will be bringing them home from Ethiopia in July (Our tentative Embassy date is July 14th!). THIS IS FOR REAL!!!:)

We received a call last Friday. One of the women on staff with CWA (from the US) was actually at the Awassa orphanage last week. (This was the same gal who stopped our adoption with the boys so that everything could be done to reunite them with their mother, which we were and are still so thankful for the wisdom God gave her in making that decision). The trip she took was a trip that had been postponed a couple of times already in God's providence, making our adoption even possible! To make a long story short, after speaking with everyone involved, these were the facts: The boy's mom had returned to CCCE (the Christian organization that runs the orphanage) in tears over not being able to take the boys back even though she wanted too. She said she was sorry for not giving permission at the court hearing and wanted them adopted after all. CCCE desired to help her take the boys back but could not give her aid because she was homeless. She had no place to take the boys. (We are guessing that is why they have been in the orphanage over a year...she has had no place to take them back to) The court date that had been rescheduled for the 4th of June but was supposed to have been canceled when our adoption was stopped, by the providence of God, never ended up being canceled. Their dear mother said she would be there to give permission so that her sons could have a home. If she did not give permission, the boys would be relinquished to her care and, would live on the streets as, sadly, many children do. In speaking to my case manager, we would call them "dumpster divers" here in America. That is how they survive. She left the decision in our hands and we said we would call her back (this past) Monday with an answer. (Our answer, obviously, was yes...not just because of the physical need but, way more importantly because of their need for Christ. Every adoption has gospel ramifications!)

So, here we were with two new faces on our fridge... with hearts that were enlarged to love and take home two new children...but faced with the reality that God had brought these precious, dearly loved boys back into our lives and their situation was dire. They would either continue living in an orphanage waiting for a new family to adopt them while they continued to be raised by nannies or they would end up on the street scrounging for food and trying to simply survive. The pain we felt in our hearts could only be but a fraction of the pain their mom must be enduring...but it also awakened us even more to the reality of the cursed world that we live in. A world that is full of pain, of broken families, of poverty and sickness and death. A world that is decaying and passing away. A world that can be so dark and bleak. But it is in this same world that the backdrop of the consequences of sin make the light of the glory of God shine all the brighter. That causes the radiance of His grace and goodness to light up the darkness. The gospel shatters the darkness and brings hope. God Himself shone into our world of pain and despair and He adopted us and made us children of the light!

So,we have not just prayed for our adoption of Samuel and Caleb but we pray for the adoption of their mother,too, into a family far greater than the Pichura Family will every be...the family of GOD! We pray that God would shine the light of His glorious gospel into her world of suffering and pain and darkness as we seek to do the same with her sons here in our home.

She is not the first woman to give her boy(s) up...she follows other godly women like Moses' mom and Hannah, Samuel's mom (and even Sarah as she watched Abraham head off with Isaac for what they thought was his death). We pray that she will follow them in godliness, as well.

We also pray for dear little A and E...the new precious faces who have touched our hearts deeper than we would have thought possible. If only we had a bigger home and van ( and some extra cash!) we would be bringing them all home! But we also peacefully rest in the sovereignty of God and HIS plan for their little lives. We pray for their parents that God ordained before the foundation of the world...that they would love the Lord with all of their hearts and teach A and E the Word of God every day! And I can't help but hope and pray that maybe the Lord might even lead one of you to adopt them! :)

We know that not everyone will understand what has transpired and that there will even be some who do not believe we have done what is best...but we rest in the fact that we have actually done nothing...nothing but wait on the Lord, taking the next step as His will unfolds and trusting His plan above all! More than anything we are learning, through this adoption, utter dependence on God. We are learning more and more just how weak and fragile we are and yet how strong, wise and all-powerful our God is. We are being reminded continually that God WILL accomplish His purposes for us and that His will can never be thwarted. Out of those truths springs forth abundant joy and peace as we follow our Savior!

We sit here today in wonder and awe...much as I did as I watched that ultrasound screen of my wiggling baby boy. And we declare with the Psalmist:

"Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds towards the sons of men. Wonderful are your works, my soul knows it very well!" Psalm 66:5 and 139:14b

PS Today is also our very own Titus' birthday, so it is and extra special day for all of us!!!