Beautiful Truth

We are so thankful to have friends who rejoice with us, pray with us, support us, and invite us over for Thanksgiving dinner. We had a lovely time yesterday with our friends. We could not ask for a more loving community.

Today, we're not shopping the Black Friday sales. There is not a thing I want enough to spend the money we could and should be saving to bring our child home.

I spent a long time last night reading the book, Kisses from Katie, by Katie Davis, a young woman who left her life in Tennessee (right out of high school) to work in an orphanage in Uganda. She has now adopted fourteen little girls, and lives with them in a Ugandan village, sharing the love of Christ with everyone she meets.

Here is a quote I found especially powerful:

“I know I cannot walk into a village and tell a child that Jesus loves her. She cannot comprehend that because, chances are, she has never been loved. I have to feed her, clothe her, care for her, and love her unconditionally as I tell her that I love her. Once she begins to understand and see my love, I can begin to tell her about a Savior who loves her even more. That is the truth for these children – that they are loved, that they are valuable, that they will not be left as orphans but that they have a plan and a hope for the future. What a beautiful truth.” – Kisses from Katie, by Katie Davis

That's exactly right. Amen, sister. 

 

Broken Machine

So I was super excited that Kyle and I both had the day off today, because I thought that meant we could go to the police station, get our FBI fingerprints done, then take the paperwork to the post office and send it certified mail to the FBI fortress in the mountains of West Virginia.

But...when I called this morning, the lady on the phone said the person who takes fingerprints wasn't coming in today. And when I called this afternoon, a different lady told me the machine was broken indefinitely. Really? Oh, but I won't give up.

Tomorrow, I am having my physical exam done. So take that, broken fingerprinting machine. You can't stop me from making progress on my adoption paperwork during my vacation week.

thankful

Organized mostly by my India-adoptive-mom friend Jennie, lots of women are continuously coming together to contribute to the quilting-for-orphans project! Church ladies' are organizing another crafting fellowship event this weekend! Our quilt squares project is meant to support all adoptions within our church family, and right now, there are three families in the adoption process and two who already have their adoptive children home! This is such a sweet environment to be in.

I don't know what I did to deserve such loving and supportive new friends... Oh wait...yes, I do. Nothing. The love of these friends comes straight from Jesus, and like His love, I don't deserve it, but it's still freely given and freely received. I am so thankful.

waiting on a referral

After our application was processed with the adoption agency for India, I asked the agent to send us any available referrals for adoptable orphans. She doesn't have any right now, and that's good, because that means the ones she had before have been chosen by other families, and will soon be on their way home, but I was hoping to see my kid's face, and now I will have to wait.

Honestly, it's probably better for my heart not to have a referral yet, since our home study is nowhere near finished, so we aren't yet eligible to apply for the grants we need to get the money to start the actual adoption. When I read the email from the adoption agent, telling me the next step with that agency is to send in our first installment of $5,000, I just laughed. "OK," I thought, "Talk to you next year, then." :) Oh don't worry, God will provide the money. But it will take time.

We are so thankful for the nearly $1,200 already donated toward our adoption, and that's not counting our adoption's share of the money that's been flowing into the church adoption fund because of the quilt square fundraiser. Last Sunday was Orphan Sunday, and so many people were willing to help out by donating quilt squares and buying stationary. It's humbling to see other people sacrificing in order to help us bring our child home. I hope she will one day understand the great love already being poured into her life.

The next step is finding a day we can take a few hours off work to go down to the police station and get fingerprinted for the FBI. Sounds like we're under criminal investigation, right? This is all to prevent criminals from adopting sweet little children, so I don't mind so much. I'd rather be inconvenienced by child protection policies than have those policies not in place at all.

How do working moms do it?

I don't know how you do it, you women who work all day (especially if it's with other people's children) and then come home and love your own children. Where do you get the energy? I am so zapped by the end of my teaching work day, my dogs are lucky I'm coherent enough to feed them or throw a ball down the hallway for them to chase in the evenings.

So how do I expect to find the energy I need to pour into my own children, when those dear little ones eventually enter my home? I have no idea. I suppose Jesus will give me the energy. That's the right answer, isn't it? OK, I know He will. He has to. Because that's the only way it can happen.

This extended time of waiting for my child to come home is a good time to pray and prepare my heart for my kids' constant presence in my life. I must confess, I haven't even finished my essays and reading assignments. But I did send the application fee to the adoption agency today! So we've officially applied to adopt from India! I wonder if we will have to wait until after the home study is completed to get a referral? (A referral is a photo and information about a child who is available for adoption).

You should read this blog. This girl is way cooler than me.

Cards and Journals have arrived!

We received this shipment of cards and journals in the mail today!

I love the texture of the hand made paper. It's so soft! The Vintage Debut in Blue and Retro Lava designs are velvety in texture. All of the designs are raised a bit off the paper. The gold coloring is actually shiny! These will make great gifts!