Our phone rang!

A week ago today, our phone rang!
It was our adoption agency and they said they had matched us with a little boy!
With a racing heart, sweaty palms, and a cautious excitement, we opened the file, read all the medical documents and then.......saw his face for the first time.

He's precious!  He's 19 months old with such smart, kind eyes.  We've talked with our kids, met with doctor, prayed and we have decided to send our LOI (letter of intent) to adopt him as our son!

We have more paperwork to do and still cannot announce any details/pictures/etc online,  until we are given permission to do so.    We need to wait for our official LOA (letter of acceptance), which could take a few weeks or so.

We can tell you, that he's very adorable and he's captured the hearts of our family.  We look forward to the day when we can announce him to the our entire friends and family.

We started our journey back in February 2015.  We hope to travel June 2016.  A long, awaited journey to bring home our precious, sweet baby boy.  

Stay tuned and thanks for following and your continued prayers and support.  

Be still my heart

The wait is getting harder day by day.

Saturday, March 12, 2016 marked 5 full months of  just waiting since our paperwork was logged in with China.  Our journey started over a year ago. 

Our children ask us daily if we got the call today.  Many people who know of our journey continue to ask when we will see our new son.  For many months, I've been just so full of anticipation for our "match" call that I've just said with a smile "any day now".  

I feel like the "any day now", has turned into a "I just don't know".   I recite over and over in my head many things to try and revive my patience and faithfulness in this great pursuit to bring home little Gus and sometimes I just sit and cry about it.

I really want to keep my eyes on Jesus during each moment of our journey.   I don't want to get caught up in the frustration of this wait, and yet at times, I do.   A friend recently encouraged me to recite a bible verse or phrase or word of encouragement to have stronghold on my thoughts when I struggle.   I appreciated that so much because often I let my mind and heart wander to the point of causing doubt, anxiety, frustration.  

I cast my cares upon you, Jesus.  You are faithful.  You love us.  You lead me beside still waters and YOU restore my soul.  May those words be continually written deep in my heart during this long , long wait to bring home our son.

We continue to wait for you little one.  We love you so much.

Mommy & Daddy
Big Brother and Big Sister

Emotions

It's one of those days, and honestly, I feel bad even saying that.  The wait seems too long at times.  I feel discouraged and impatient.  Why such a long wait?  Is our openness limiting us?  Is our agency just not receiving files of little boys that we are seeking?  I see so many other families being matched daily, so perhaps that is adding to my impatient heart and mind.    My kids ask me daily if we got our referral and I can sense their frustration, but I try to keep positive and remind them of God's perfect timing.

  Other times, I'm OK with the wait because I know God is faithful to complete what He's begun in HIS time .  

So, please continue to pray over my impatient heart.  Sometimes, my head messes with my heart to the point I start to doubt.  I don't want that to enter in, so I keep praying.  The struggles of this wait are real and often distracting me from the peace I long for.

I'm thankful for friends and family who are our prayer warriors during this entire journey.  

Prayer requests:
For God's peace daily.
For our little Gus (that God prepares him to meet us, for his health)
For the China team (for God to lead their hearts as they match us with our little one)


-sara

Rejoice and Mourn

Today I am thankful for good friends and family who were there for me today when I needed it most.  

We got a phone call yesterday about a little boy who might be a good match for us.  My heart was racing, I was beyond anxious to review his file, couldn't wait to see my husband and look at the file together. We saw a beautiful 10 month old baby boy, but we didn't see our Gus.   To describe this is really difficult. We had to make our preliminary decision by end of day.  I'm not sure what I was "expecting" to feel.  Was it a lightning strike kind of moment, was it a quiet peace that overwhelmed me,  was it clear that he was meant to be ours?  I prayed and prayed.  

 My head was doubting, my heart wasn't responding as I was longing for.  Why?   I don't have a concrete answer. 

My husband and I both felt the same way, but yet we had to ask ourselves  "are we just afraid to say yes?"   "why isn't HE the right one?"   "we prayed about a younger toddler, we had one right at our hands"  , and yet we made the decision to let him go and pray he finds his forever family.

I made the difficult phone call today to our agency to say that we are passing on that file.  There was silence on the other end, which made me feel even worse.  What is she thinking?   Does she think we made terrible decision?  What?
She assured me (after her delayed response) that there must be a reason and it's ok.  God is preparing our little Gus to meet us at just the right time.  It didn't make it easier, but I felt a sense of peace in our decision as sad as that may sound.   (letting go and yet having peace beyond understanding in that moment). 

So, we continue to wait for our little boy .


Prayer warriors:   Please pray for our hearts to rest in the promise of God's incredible plan and timing.  Pray we will just know when we review the next file(s).   Someone told me today that God may have someone totally different in mind than what we were possibly expecting, and that we need to allow His plan to unfold and trust that He knows, even if we don't. 

One year and counting..........

February 2015, we made our decision to adopt our newest family member and we chose China as the country we would adopt from.  

We started with our preliminary application, signed the contract agreement, filled out more paperwork, got reference letters, fingerprints, financial reports, home study, trainings, dossier (international paperwork),  fundraisers, and beyond and we are now waiting for our referral so we can travel  to China and bring home our beautiful little Gus.  

Cannot believe it's been a full year and counting.  We are so, so close to having our phone ring.

The next time I post, I'm hoping to say the word:

Until then:  I continue to stalk my phone, I've told all my staff and family members to answer the phone

  (if I am away from it)

when they see it's from Michigan. 

That will be the time we say......

DaGe's (big brother) journal

'sup bro,
i just wanted to make a little time capsule for the future, so here it goes.
right now we are waiting to get a referral, we haven't seen you yet, i am really nervous to see what you look like. I will certainly teach you how to love music, just as much as I do. 
People will always ask me if I really want to have a brother, and I would usually say i would rather 
have you, over music, and I really care about my music.

hopefully we will be able to find and restore a old car like this, with you and me in the cab of the car.   People will think that we are 2 magnets, because we will always do things together, but i don't think that your big sister will like that idea. ;)  Well can't wait to meet you, when we finally get to China!!

can't wait to see you, and turn you into my 'lil brother.  
I can't wait to be your 大哥 
(big brother)

Encouraging news

We got some encouraging news.

Our agency sent word today that she is hopeful for us to be matched soon.

There will be 8 little boy files released to our agency's partnership orphanage sometime this month.

It could be tomorrow, or this week, or anytime.

Soon, these shoes will be filled with two playful little feet running around and we are READY to see his precious face, hold him in our arms and bring him home.