"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:18

Our Family

Our Family

Monday, March 7, 2011

A Few Thank Yous, Some Sad Changes, and Some Precious Reminders that He is Sovereign and Greater Is He that is in Me, Than He is that is in the World.

I have many varying things to post today so please forgive the hodge podge.

I received the check from Chick-fil-A today. We had $558 in sales assigned to our adoption so Chick-fil-A gave us 15% of that which totaled $83.70. We also received another $21 in bucket donations at the cash register so altogether we raised $104.70! Thanks to all who came out. In addition, this weekend we received an anonymous letter with no return address and it was signed "Friends". They apologized for not being able to come to Chick-fil-A and enclosed a nice cash donation. Thank you to whoever you are - we so appreciate your willingness to help.

The next topic is much harder for me to write about. We were informed on Friday evening that there will be drastic changes in the number of adoptions that are processed in Ethiopia due to changes in procedures at MOWA (Ministry of Women’s, Children’s and Youth Affairs). Here's how it works: Once a family accepts a referral of a child and once all paperwork is in order, the case is submitted to court. The COPY of the dossier goes to the court but the original dossier goes to MOWA. MOWA must write a letter of recommendation to the court approving the adoption. If the MOWA letter is not there by your court appointment then your case does not pass court. The case is then given another appointment and hopefully the MOWA letter is there by the next court date. What this announcement is saying is that MOWA will be writing LESS letters than in the past. They were writing about 30 letters a day. NOW they plan to write only 5 letters per day. This means that there will now be long delays in waiting for our child to come home. Here is a link to one of the articles that provides more details: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/-Ethiopia-to-Cut-Foreign-Adoptions-by-Up-to-90-Percent-117411843.html

While we certainly don't advocate corruption, coersion or any other immoral procedure in adoption proceedings and we understand the need to weed that out, we also understand that this way of doing it slows down the process so much for children in the pipeline. In an ideal world, we can prevent the need for adoption, but we are a long way from that world. So, until then, children will pay the price. This is heartbreaking to us. We have both shed many tears the last few days and I know there are many more to come. I was reminded by another family who has adopted though that God is still in control of this and He has led us to adopt from Ethiopia for His reasons and in His time. She told us of a book called "Sun Stand Still" about the story of Joshua and his battle against the 5 Amorite kings and their armies. After being asked to help, Joshua and his army marched all night to surprise them. After an all day battle Joshua and his army were winning. With nightfall coming on Joshua feared the enemy would be able to retreat, regroup, and restrengthen. So, he asked God to make the sun stand still. Joshua 10:13 "So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped....The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day." The book is about not only asking God to do things (supernatural things), but really actually believing He can do them. So, surely, if my God can make the sun stand still; if He can feed 5000 with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish; if He can raise from the dead 3 days after death.....He can overcome 5 letters per day. Thank you my friend for such a precious reminder that God is Sovereign. That God is Bigger than anyone or anything. That if God is for us, who can stand against us?

We know that God loves adoption for His word tells us such. He teaches us to reciprocate this redemption in the very adoption He has offered us. (Eph. 1:5). We walk by faith, and not by sight. The uncertainties are many, fear looms large, and the temptation to wile away our blessed American lives on our own comfort and consumption is so strong. There is no other remedy against this weakness, but to turn our eyes to Jesus and His will for our lives. There is a job for everyone in the Kingdom. Everyone’s gifts can be used in some small or great way. Our roles will look different and our callings diverse…but they will and should be always united in the care and concern for the least of these.

Why adopt from Africa? Why adopt internationally? We are fortunate to live in a land whose government is doing much, though it is far from perfect, to care for its orphans. In America we have foster homes where children have roofs over their heads and food to eat, clothing to wear. It is not so in other countries. Orphans roam the streets, are sold like cattle to traffickers, or die, naked, in alleyways, trash piles, and city dumps. We have this knowledge that generations before us did not. I read a quote from an adoptive mom that said "We want to see an Ethiopia where children are safe, fed, and given the love of God. But it hasn’t happened yet. Their home is not safe. We have a safe home to share. Anybody who has adopted a child knows the huge commitment in time, money, energy, and spiritual muscle it takes to parent the child. This isn’t a fad. It's a calling. A little dark face in our family is not the “latest hot accessory”. The only bandwagon we are jumping on is the one God has called us to, which was to obey Him, by reaching out to the orphaned. We are all children of God, adopted into His family by the blood of Jesus Christ. We are all of Adam, the wrong race, but He embraced us anyway in our poverty and with all of our “special needs”. A Christian worldview does not overemphasize any one culture nor does it place importance on the amount of melanin in an individual’s skin, their eye shape, their hair texture, not the shape of their nose or the size of their lips. Race, culture, socio-economic status are not how disciples of Jesus categorize people. God loves diversity, and I don’t think He has anything but a big smile for those families that have embraced all kinds of diversity into their lives. He Himself has the most culturally diverse, multi-racial family ever.”

Please continue to pray for us. More importantly, please continue to pray for the children. It is so hard to think of our little son or daughter waiting for us to bring them home. I know that God is in control and so, though it is a daily struggle, I must rest in the knowledge that He knows best and His timing is perfect. In Him, all is, and all will be well. I will leave you with a video that is sung by many of the children's choirs in Africa. The words are "I am not forgotten, I am not forgotten, I am not forgotten, God knows my name. He knows my name. Light over darkness, Strength over weakness, Joy over sadness, He knows my name. Father to the Fatherless, Friend to the friendless, Hope for the hopeless, He knows my name. I will praise You. I will praise You. For I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am not forgotten. Never forsaken. I am not forgotten. He knows my name."

Blessings,
Valerie

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