2 Weeks

Blaine and I could both feel God at work in our hearts as He gave us the ability to say, Whatever this adoption looks like, Lord, we are willing.  We decided to revisit the idea of adopting Internationally, this time without blinders.  THIS time we wouldn't be searching for the program that could give us the youngest child, but we would prayerfully consider every opportunity.  I also looked into a few new agencies that we hadn't yet requested information from.

I've been involved in mission work in Mexico since I was 15 years old.  This experience has cultivated a genuine love in my heart for Spanish speaking people. I'm almost 27 now, so needless to say this mission has been profoundly influential in shaping who I am today.  It was the reason I began to consider adoption, many years ago.  From the moment I stepped off of the van in La Nariz, Mexico in 2000, my life was changed.  For the first time in my life, at 15 years old, I understood the meaning of poverty.  The people of La Nariz taught me what it means to love God unconditionally.  They have so little, yet they continue praising God for His goodness.  Now that's a lesson America has yet to learn.  It's a lesson I, myself, am still learning.  So often our love for God and our happiness in life is contingent upon our circumstance.  The testimony time at Iglesia Bautista Gracia puts testimony time in our churches TO SHAME.  Not only did this mission teach me what it means to love God, it also showed me my responsibility as His child.  I enjoy so many blessings as one who has been adopted into the family of God, one who has been invited to dine at the table of a King, one who shares in all of His wealth and goodness. Therefore, it is my responsibility to care for the needy, the helpless, the poor, the widow, the stranger, the orphan. (see Deut 24:17-21)

I shared all that to say that, as Blaine and I again approached the idea of adopting Internationally, my heart was drawn to the Latin countries that had an adoption program.  As I began reading about different programs I came across Gladney's Colombia adoption program.  It offered an immediate placement program for couples willing to adopt sibling groups where the oldest child is 7 years old.  Two months ago there is no way I would've even considered this, but now.... well now I was completely ecstatic. I immediately told Blaine about everything and he was ecstatic, too.  We were both in agreement to seriously consider this option.  We kept other programs in mind, but this is the one that stood out. 

We made an agreement with one another to really pray about this for 2 weeks.  We both wanted to make sure that this was God's will for us.  We decided that in this period of 2 weeks, we would search out financial resources, further details about the program, and Blaine would determine if his work would allow him time off to complete the adoption.  This coming Friday will be the end of our 2 week agreement.  I'd like to tell you that there were all happy discoveries up until now, however we began to face the hardships of the adoption process.  So, we'd ask that you would enter into prayer with us in the final days before our final decision to proceed with adoption from Colombia.

Here's how you can pray:

*Pray that God would CLEARLY show us the right decision

*Pray that He would provide the finances necessary to make the adoption possible

*Pray that He would send us people to rally around us in support

*Pray that God would be glorified and we would be satisfied in whatever He chooses to do through us