a BIG announcement!

Most of you that know us, know our passion for adoption. You know how it has changed our family and really just blessed us beyond belief. When we set out to adopt Dane in 2009 we had no idea how much it would change our world view. What we saw, what we heard, what we had learned, rocked our world to it's core, and had created such an ache in our souls.

When we came home last summer with Aliyah, we knew we would be back in Ch*na someday. We just never imagined it would be so soon.

In January, we came across a little girl, "Hope", with a life story that broke our hearts.  The moment we saw her, we knew we had to be a part of  helping her find a forever family. We did not know what that meant, but we knew we had to seek God and ask Him what He wanted us to do. As we received more information on this sweetie, and as we sought God, we knew that we had to pursue trying to bring her home. There were many things that needed to happen before we could see her file, assuming we could find it, and assuming God wanted us to find it.  And in all reality, we needed to know if we were even her family. There were many, many things that had to be directed...and only by God.  As the weeks past, things slowly fell into place.  At the end of February we had received her file...we had 72 hours to make a decision.

As we looked over her file and read her medical reports the reality began to sink in. Her diagnosis was scary. That night, neither Joel nor I slept...and as I laid in bed I literally could not breathe. We begged God for clarity and wisdom and the more we begged the cloudier things got, or so it felt.
 

 It is so incredibly difficult to look at a child's file and know that we can say "yes" or we can say "no"...we have the power to change a child's life forever. That power is such an overwhelming feeling; such a heavy burden. This sweetie needed a family....we knew that. And we did not want to make a mistake- for her sake and for ours.  It really is life or death for her, but at the same time we are not her savior. She already has one. She did not need us to make a decision simply to "save" her. She needed a family to say "yes" to her because they loved her, wanted her, believed and hoped for her...no matter what her file said. She needed a family to simply love her just because.

 

When we woke that Thursday morning, we knew we had to make a decision...our hearts were torn and broken. Where was that clarity we desperately needed?  Little did we know, in the very early hours of the morning, we were emailed an update. The moment we read that update we knew we had to say "yes"

 

Our clarity had come and it brought peace with it. Our God is so, so faithful.

 

Ch*na did not take long to give us pre approval to bring her home.

 So, here she is. Here is our "Hope".

 "Hope" has just turned 2 and has a chronic, hereditary, condition that requires monthly blood transfusions. Her life depends on getting these transfusions. We also have some other concerns, but we love her anyways. We know that she will be a wonderful blessing to our family!! You can read more about her chronic condition here and  here. Due to some medical concerns we are trying to expedite the process to bring her home. Even though we are trying to expedite, we do not, at this point in time, have any idea of when we will be able to bring her home  As we know more we will share. We are, however, hoping to travel to bring her home this summer or fall.

I know some do not understand why we would add yet another child to our family, and that is OK. We do not need you to understand-- we just need you to pray. We know that 6 children may seem like a lot to some. And we know that adding another child to our family, especially one that has some medical concerns, is not so "cut and dry"...we know it can be complicated...and we know the risks. This is not something we took lightly. We have bathed this decision in prayer...and we still are. I assure you we are not crazy, nor are we saints of any  kind...we are just a simple family on a journey with God. And we happen to have room for one more.

 

Mark 9:37

"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."