So, yesterday, we were officially submitted! Our completed dossier (big ol' expensive stack of paperwork, outlining our entire life as a family) is in the hands of the government officials of the country our newbie is from. Yesterday is the beginning of the 40 day trial, the 40 days of waiting....40 days and counting.
It's not a literal 40 days, but an estimate of our wait. But that "40 day" estimate really set into my mind and I pondered it. In the Word of God, 40 is the number God uses as the length of time, whether it be days and nights or years, to set that person on a journey of trial and testing and probation (I'll come back to that word in a minute). Jesus was tempted in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights. (Matthew 4) Satan used three different ploys to tempt Him: physical drive (hunger in this instance), pride, and . All of these ploys are human issues, not God issues, so Satan was tempting the human part of Jesus. Satan even has the gall to attempt to use God's own Word against Him! Satan quotes from Psalm 91, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down [from the pinnacle of the temple he had led Jesus to], for it is written "He will command His angels concerning you," and "On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone." (Psalm 91:11,12) This is a psalm about trusting God to take care of us, and satan contorts the words as a means to test God and cast doubt on God's faithfulness. Satan also says in every temptation "IF you are the Son of God.." IF IF IF.
I am not a patient person. There, I said it. I can be patient with my kids, but I don't like to wait for other people to get things done. Guess what? The country that our little one is from is notorious for taking their sweet time. There is no sense of urgency with these people! My child is wasting away in some orphanage and I have to wait on red tape?! NOT my forte! This is one of several reasons why we chose not to hire an agency -- why pay more money to wait on someone else to do what I can do myself much quicker and with the same precision?! I thought the home study wait was going to be the death of me! (It actually held up everything else, I had every other document finished before we got our home study report back!)
Part of the 40 day wait is a 20-business-day wait for their government to run interpol. They take EVERY SINGLE LAST MINUTE to run interpol. Seriously, let me run it myself. I will send it in for you! But that's not possible.
So, back to the word "probation". I found this definition of "probation" and liked it: "A process of testing or observing the character or abilities of a person." This is definitely testing my abilities to wait and rely on God to get things done in HIS time!
40 days is a looooong time when you're waiting on something like rescuing someone you love so much from somewhere you know they are not getting what they need. 40 days seems like not long enough to find the $10K to finish off our adoption and GO!
We need 6 $40 donations every day for these 40 days + 10 more, if we are going to meet our goal! If you would like to make a donation you can find us at Grace Haven Ministry's website, and we are also featured at Project Hopeful, too!
God bless!!
Friday, May 31, 2013
Thursday, May 23, 2013
40 days...
We were not submitted today. That made my heart hurt. Every day I think about our kiddo, when we are doing things together as a family, especially sitting down for dinner. That empty chair is mocking me. The clothes we have picked are still on hangers, with tags (in case they don't fit). The kid doesn't even have shoes yet because we don't know what size to get!
I told my hubby that it is driving me insane that we are here, waiting, longing, loving this kiddo from so far away. The hubs astutely pointed out that our kiddo doesn't even know. I think he wanted to make me feel better, but it didn't, it just broke my heart more. I have loved this kiddo in this picture I have for 2 years, and for 3 months have known I would be the lucky mama to bring this little one home. And this child, who is so so wanted and loved, does not even know it yet! Pray with me for God to prepare that little heart for the overwhelming abundance of love!
Our facilitator told me that we WILL be submitted on May 30th. She has an appointment for 10am on May 30th. A friend of mine told me that she has known of facilitators pushing and fighting in line to get those dossiers submitted. That somehow made me feel better, that there are good people willing to fight for these kids! Another friend told me that the current time between submission and the date to go look at our child's file is about 40 days.
God spoke to me in that little statement. 40 days. He can do a lot with 40 days. He flooded the earth, cleansing it of corruption and evil in 40 days. Jesus was tempted in the desert for 40 days. Jesus was on earth for 40 days after His crucifixion before He ascended back into Heaven. 40 is a number that symbolizes a period of trial or probation that ends in revival and renewal. It certainly will be trying to wait these last 40 days before meeting the little love I have been looking at in photos for the past 2 years!
40 days is not really a long time (though it does seem like it to my heart!), and we are not even close to fully funded. We have not gotten the support we thought we would from the adoption community we are a part of. It has been very disheartening and frustrating. We have enough money left in savings for either the facilitator fee OR the airline tickets, but not both. We'd like to raise money for both so if something comes up we have a little wiggle room. We need about $10K to do that.
So, in the next 40 days, let see how many $40 donations we can receive! Even one $40 a day for 40 days is $1600, which will cover most of one plane ticket! We need six $40 donations a day to reach our goal. I KNOW God can do this!! If you cannot give $40, that's okay --give $5, find 3 friends who can give $10 each to have a group donation of $40! Every little bit counts! And please SHARE!!
I told my hubby that it is driving me insane that we are here, waiting, longing, loving this kiddo from so far away. The hubs astutely pointed out that our kiddo doesn't even know. I think he wanted to make me feel better, but it didn't, it just broke my heart more. I have loved this kiddo in this picture I have for 2 years, and for 3 months have known I would be the lucky mama to bring this little one home. And this child, who is so so wanted and loved, does not even know it yet! Pray with me for God to prepare that little heart for the overwhelming abundance of love!
Our facilitator told me that we WILL be submitted on May 30th. She has an appointment for 10am on May 30th. A friend of mine told me that she has known of facilitators pushing and fighting in line to get those dossiers submitted. That somehow made me feel better, that there are good people willing to fight for these kids! Another friend told me that the current time between submission and the date to go look at our child's file is about 40 days.
God spoke to me in that little statement. 40 days. He can do a lot with 40 days. He flooded the earth, cleansing it of corruption and evil in 40 days. Jesus was tempted in the desert for 40 days. Jesus was on earth for 40 days after His crucifixion before He ascended back into Heaven. 40 is a number that symbolizes a period of trial or probation that ends in revival and renewal. It certainly will be trying to wait these last 40 days before meeting the little love I have been looking at in photos for the past 2 years!
40 days is not really a long time (though it does seem like it to my heart!), and we are not even close to fully funded. We have not gotten the support we thought we would from the adoption community we are a part of. It has been very disheartening and frustrating. We have enough money left in savings for either the facilitator fee OR the airline tickets, but not both. We'd like to raise money for both so if something comes up we have a little wiggle room. We need about $10K to do that.
So, in the next 40 days, let see how many $40 donations we can receive! Even one $40 a day for 40 days is $1600, which will cover most of one plane ticket! We need six $40 donations a day to reach our goal. I KNOW God can do this!! If you cannot give $40, that's okay --give $5, find 3 friends who can give $10 each to have a group donation of $40! Every little bit counts! And please SHARE!!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Check it out!!
We did it!! We completed, notarized, apostilled and shipped our dossier yesterday! YAAAAAYY!!!!!
And now we wait....
I am so blessed!
I have so many friends that are willing to help us out with last minute adoption costs!! So I decided to post all the fundraisers we have going on right now in one place for easy access!!
First, today is my daughter's 9th birthday and today is the day we got a donate button on Project Hopeful's website! When our friends asked Dot what she wanted for her birthday she said "I want (her new sibling) home!" How sweet is that?!?! She is very very excited to bring her new sibling home!! So, in honor of her birthday we are asking for help in raising $900. She'd LOVE this!
Go here http://projecthopeful.org/urgent-needs/ and check out or shiny new profile on Project Hopeful's Urgent Needs page! Donate whatever you are led and let's surprise Dot for her birthday, shall we?
Next up is a fundraiser that my dear friend Angie set up. She started selling Usborne books and has graciously and generously agreed to give us her first commission check! See what I mean? BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE! You can check out the Usborne book show HERE
Then, I was contacted by a good friend of mine from high school (ahh the good ol' days, right?). Mindy sells Thirty One products and wants to donate part of her commission to our adoption efforts! I have never purchased Thirty One, myself (yet! I am eyeballing a blanket for our wagon!), but I have seen these products and they are very well made and beautiful! You can go check them out HERE!
Amazing, huh?! So so blessed!!
So whether you need a new tote for the beach, a new thermal to carry your lunch to work or a good book to read to the kids before bed, you can get all that here and help a little one get home to LOVE and a family and medical care that they need!
First, today is my daughter's 9th birthday and today is the day we got a donate button on Project Hopeful's website! When our friends asked Dot what she wanted for her birthday she said "I want (her new sibling) home!" How sweet is that?!?! She is very very excited to bring her new sibling home!! So, in honor of her birthday we are asking for help in raising $900. She'd LOVE this!
Go here http://projecthopeful.org/urgent-needs/ and check out or shiny new profile on Project Hopeful's Urgent Needs page! Donate whatever you are led and let's surprise Dot for her birthday, shall we?
Next up is a fundraiser that my dear friend Angie set up. She started selling Usborne books and has graciously and generously agreed to give us her first commission check! See what I mean? BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE! You can check out the Usborne book show HERE
Then, I was contacted by a good friend of mine from high school (ahh the good ol' days, right?). Mindy sells Thirty One products and wants to donate part of her commission to our adoption efforts! I have never purchased Thirty One, myself (yet! I am eyeballing a blanket for our wagon!), but I have seen these products and they are very well made and beautiful! You can go check them out HERE!
Amazing, huh?! So so blessed!!
So whether you need a new tote for the beach, a new thermal to carry your lunch to work or a good book to read to the kids before bed, you can get all that here and help a little one get home to LOVE and a family and medical care that they need!
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Who are you?
I went shopping at Old Navy today and it had me imagining what our newbie will like, what they think is funny, what is their favorite color? I bought clothes that matched my children's personality --
A cat t-shirt for Tate. She LOVES quirky graphic tees!
But what will my newbie be like? I have two daughters that are outgoing, two that are super shy. My oldest is very sarcastic and sardonic, and has been from a really early age, and Dot and May May don't "get" sarcasm. We have to be careful about what we say around them because sarcasm is just lost on them! Dot LOVES hugs and kisses and is very affectionate, May May tells me daily, when I kiss her, that she doesn't like kisses because I kissed her too much when she was a baby. (LOL!!) Dee Dee is silly and spunky, May May is very low key and serious. They're all too smart for my own good!
I guess you could say we're prepared for any combination of traits and can't wait to meet this kiddo! :-)
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