Monday, June 06, 2011

12 more sleeps!! We are so close!!!

12 More sleeps!! We are still waiting for our TA and our agency just sent out our Visa passports today. They sent them express post, they didn't seem too concerned with the Canada Post strike effecting it's delivery so we should recieve them soon. I sealed the suitcases shut this morning except for the one we need to put our toiletries in. YAY!

It just occurred to me today that our original log in date was June 16th, 2006. It's amazing that 5 years and one day later we'll be driving to the airport to board a plane heading for China to bring home our second child!

7 years ago I would have never imagined my world would have folded out into this. I still marvel at the way God turns ashes into beauty. I was feeling hopeless 6 years ago after trying to get pregnant for the previous 3 years and not being successful. I thought God had deserted me.....left me dry and barren in a grey world. Little did I know what He was working on behind the scenes. My husband was being prepared to open his heart to the love of the Lord and shed his Iron armour...I didn't see that coming.....He was wearing down my I-AM-Woman-Hear-ME-Roar attitude and tenderizing my heart..I didn't see that coming.....He was teaching me grace with a teenage child.....I didn't see that coming.....He was positioning my sister to receive Him into her heart...and He used a stubborn woman who tried hard to understand what was happening in her own life to be His instrument...I didn't deserve that honor.....I didn't see it coming.

He put people in my path who spoke into my life at the exact right moments.....and I made my journey back to Him. I remember the day like it was yesterday. I was walking down the road I was crying and ready to surrender. I raised my arms and I layed my agenda down....and told Him to take over. I had no idea He was about to open the avenue to adoption....I came home from my walk and not long after there was a tug at my heart to search online China adoption...there was never even a thought of another country or even domestic...for a few weeks I searched and investigated. Then one day I sat my husband down and asked him to think about adoption....(ultimately we had the choice to make between invetro or adoption)..I didn't want him to be swayed by anything I said. I wanted him to search his heart and take as much time as he needed. He didn't take long to make a decision. He believed it was what we were meant to do. An ocean of relief swept over me for I had already started to fall in love with a little girl from China...this took place spring of 2005....Sugar Pie was born May 13th 2005....I don't remember the exact date I walked down the road and surrendered all to the Lord but I wouldn't be a bit surprised if it was May 12.

While we were waiting and waiting....I just couldn't understand what was taking so long....the end of April 2007 I got a call from a cousin of mine who lives in another city...she knew we were anxiously waiting to adopt a child and she learned of a family who had a daughter who was unable to keep her child...a little boy...she asked if we would consider. She gave me the family's phone number and old them if I was interested I may call them. They were waiting for me to call. I did and I asked for only facts and nothing personal about this 4 month old baby boy..(I didn't want to get my hopes up). It was a Friday and it was after 5 so I couldn't call the provincial adoption office to inquire about concurrent adoptions. We met with our pastor and wife and we talked and prayed. Monday came and I called the province and she said we were not allowed to do a concurrent adoption. We would have to stop our China process if we decided to say yes to this little boy....In one hand we had a baby boy who potentially could have been in our lives within a couple of weeks or so and in our other hand we had faith that there was a little girl in China waiting for us but may wait for another 2 or more years....we couldn't turn our back on China....we just felt too strongly that she was there already...this would be a test in faith for both of us.

I felt bad for the little guy but I felt that if anything I would be his prayer Momma...I still pray for him when I think of him....we got that phone call about the little boy the end of April 2007.......our sweet boy who is waiting for us in China....his birthday is April 28, 2007....ironic? Ashes to beauty.

I didn't see it coming...and I'm glad I didn't. God is always good...even when we don't understand...and the wait.....was totally worth it.....after all how many times did He wait...thank you Jesus for waiting for me. Thank you for the work you did in my life and my loved ones lives while we waited. Your timing was perfect. Glory is Yours and I will continue to share Your love in our story every chance I get. Praise You Jesus!!!

“Instead of shame my people will receive a double portion [of blessing], and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance. In my faithfulness I will reward them…. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”
Isaiah 61.

We'll be traveling with the group we were assigned to travel with back in 2006 with our original LID. So I already knew who many of them were...ironic? Ashes to Beauty baby...and only Jesus can bring life where there was a dry, barren, grey world....will you let Him do that for you....He's waiting....patiently......for you to say yes. May God bless you and keep you, may His face shine upon you.

Check out my little brag book I made below. It's super easy and fun to make.


Here's a fun, easy and sweet craft! The little ones at sparks made them! It's just 4 lunch bags cut at 5inches stapled together bound with a 1 1/2 inch piece of card stock and then you cut out 12 4x4 pieces of card stock or scrap paper for each page. The 4 sheets you put inside the paper bags have a little piece of ribbon stapled to them to make it easy to pull out.

Use an acid free glue to piece all of it together with 10 of your favorite pictures and decorate to suit your style!
These would be a really sweet greeting card for someone. LOVE IT!

Midgie: Hummmm, can we negotiate where I'll be staying while you leave for China......You know I hate change.

Can't get enough of that Sugar Crisp! She's getting very excited to meet her little brother Hunny Bunch!

4 comments:

frogglet said...

When I look back at when Chloe was born I was at a very low point, perhaps the lowest and ready to walk away but something kept me going and I thank God daily that he did not let me walk away.

Can't wait to see the whole family together!

Tricia said...

What a beautiful post!! Thanks for sharing, have a fantastic trip!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this post Deb, It was very encouraging to anyone who may be in "wait mode" no matter what it is they are waiting for. Reading this helps others see that even when we feel like nothing is changing that God is working behind the scenes and doing a great work and that we must keep holding onto hope for whatever dream God has planted in our hearts.

lil sis- Lori said...

Sorry I forgot to put my name- Ignore "Anonymous said" and replace with lil sis-Lori