I cannot tell you how excited I am to share this news with you especially considering how long it’s been “in the works”. So…in an effort to not keep you in suspense any longer…
I’ll share the news first, but then I’ll have to share the background story that brings us to this day. So, please stick around and keep reading…that’s the coolest part!
And now for the BIG announcement!!!! I’m adopting!!!!!!!! Yes – you read that right! I’ve just begun the process and am fully pursuing my desire to adopt a 5-year-old little girl from Congo (in Africa, for those geographically challenged – ha!).
I know some of you might be saying WHAAAAT? Believe me, I’ve been on my own emotional roller coaster over this the last few months, but here comes the amazing part.
Shortly after Chris died, I wrote a blog post about all of our dreams that died along with him. You can check out that post HERE if you like.
Anyway, one of those dreams of ours was to adopt a little boy from Ethiopia. We had really just started seriously looking into it and had done nothing concrete, but we knew it was something we felt led to do. Well, we know how the rest of that story went. The love of my life left me for Heaven, and so I tucked away that dream forever (or so I thought…).
Little did I realize that at the same time I wrote that blog post referenced above, God was already weaving a new friend into my life. She read my post and knew then (but didn’t share with me then) that God revealed to her my dream wasn’t over. It might look a little different, but it wasn’t over. She hesitated to contact me for months, because she wanted to make sure she was being obedient to what she thought God was asking her to do rather than just do something out of her own desires. Additionally, she admitted she thought I might think she was crazy – this perfect “stranger” contacting me about pursuing my adoption dream.
Fast forwarding, my new friend Amy contacted me via Facebook in October. She revealed to me that she works for an adoption agency in addition to serving with her pastor husband as a missionary in Honduras every summer leading camps for orphans. She then went to say that she had been reading and following my blog and referenced the post where I had admitted my adoption dream was dead. She said, “I don’t believe it’s dead. And, if it’s something you still feel led to pursue, I can help you with that.”
Amy lives a couple of hours away but drove up to meet with me in early December and we chatted for hours about all of this. My mind was swirling. Prior to my meeting with her, I had a couple of conversations with some of my closest girlfriends, and I offered up my two biggest excuses, which I felt would be deal breakers: (1) I have NO money for adoption – NONE, ZERO, ZILCH, and (2) I felt terrible about bringing a child into a single parent home. Well, the first answer back was in regards to my excuse #2:
“So, it’s okay to leave a child in an orphanage without ANY parent?”
Ouch! I hadn’t thought of it that way. She was right! As for excuse #1: I’ve had many responses to that one, but the majority go something like this…
“Where would the faith be in this if you already had it all figured out?”
“Do you honestly believe God would call you to do this and not equip you?”
“God has called you to adopt…He will call others to financially support you in this.”
And…the lists went on and on.
So, I told Amy that I would take a couple of months to pray about it, and in the last couple of weeks, I’ve been fasting about it. I wanted to be perfectly clear that this was what God was calling me to do (even though I really already knew it). I guess I just had to throw out that “fleece” one more time.
I committed to the adoption process about a week and a half ago. I filled out my initial agency application and received my pre-approval back today! So, it’s begun!!!!
So, what’s next?
I need LOTS of prayer. I can’t underestimate that. A friend told me that it’s like I’m pregnant all over again, and she also reminded me that I’ll see some “stretch marks”. Friends, the enemy is not happy about this! I’ve already experienced some evidence of spiritual warfare, but God intervenes every single time. However, I must stand guard and be armed with prayer and God’s Word, and I need you to help me with that! This is much BIGGER than anything I can do on my own! Who knew that God would call me – a widow – to adopt an orphan from Africa??? I cry just thinking about it!
I also need ideas about ways to raise some quick money. After the Home Study is final and approved, I can apply for lots of grants and plan to apply for anything out there!!! It’s all in an effort to bring “Holly” (the name I’ll give her) home! However, prior to the Home Study, I have to raise $4050 IMMEDIATELY to be able to send to the agency to become their full-fledged client. I’ve been set up in the database as of today, but everything comes to a halt until the first payment is in. Following the $4050, I’ll be raising the money for the Home Study. I’m still not sure how much that will be, as I’m “shopping around”. So, I’m looking at all kinds of fundraising avenues – nothing is too small at this point, and God knows exactly where that $4050 is coming from and who He’s calling even now to help with that (either through direct gifts or through fundraising efforts on Holly’s behalf).
So, there you have it! My BIG news! Anna and I are beyond excited! You can hardly wipe the grins off our faces! Thanks for reading my “mini novel”. I’ll be adding a tab to this website with more specific details about my adoption news, as it progresses, so stay tuned for that.
I treasure each of you! God is soooo good! “Holly-lujah!!!!”
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. ~James 1:27
Congratulations!
Wow, girl! You have so much faith. I don’t even have faith that God will provide $700/month for me to live on, so I can’t imagine asking for thousands. But go you! Go God!
Thanks Christy! God is the author and perfecter of my faith. Apart from Him, I’d have none. 🙂
Oh, SHOOT . . . . everyone in my house is SLEEPING or I’d be jumping up and down and screaming in excitement with you! 🙂 Girl, YOU ROCK! 🙂 I’m SO EXCITED for you . . . here I’ve been putting off adopting a Compassion child because I’m afraid of the commitment and you are adopting a REAL LIVE child!! So much for my plans to get to sleep early tonight . . . now I’m too excited for you! 🙂
Sheila – I’d highly encourage you to sponsor a Compassion child! We’ve been doing that for several years (have a little girl in Peru). When Chris died, I vowed that under no financial distress of any kind would I give that up. He’s been very faithful, and our commitment stands with our little Peruvian “child”. Now – He’s kickin’ things up a knotch I dare say! 🙂
Wowzers!!!!!! I’m thrilled for you! I’m adopted ya know, so i have an extra special love for those who adopt. I’ll be praying, and I’ll get my creative juices flowing about fundraising!
Lee…NO – I had no idea you were adopted! How cool!!!! Yes – let me know if God gives you any creative fundraising ideas! I’m all ears!
I’m so excited for you!! God knows our every need and He will provide!
Amen sister! Amen!
Hi sweet friend. I am SOOOOO excited for you! Wanted to give you a couple of ideas if you feel led to pursue them (in regards to raising $).
I have donated $ to people adopting through this page: http://give1save1.com/about/
And my friends who recently adopted had a really cool idea about having people donate toward puzzle pieces. $5 buys a piece of the 1,000 piece puzzle they bought, you put their name on the piece(s) they “buy” and put the puzzle together for Holly with the names of those who gave on the back. I thought it was a cool idea — check out their post here: http://laurenbethany.wordpress.com/2011/07/08/adoption-puzzle/
Will be praying for you! So wonderful! 🙂
Adorable Amber – Thank you so much for these ideas. It’s confirmation to me, because I just learned about Give1Save1 yesterday and the puzzle thing over the weekend! I’ll check into both more thoroughly now.
Glorious news!
Thank you Marsha! I’m beyond excited (and a bit stunned)! 🙂
Wow, Leah, I’m thrilled for you. And even MORE thrilled that the dream didn’t die. I just prayed for divine provision for you and trust God will provide every step of the way! May He establish and orchestrate every detail in Jesus’ mighty name.
Thank you so much Julie! Every prayer offered up to the throne room on our behalf is one prayer closer to bringing our Holly home! You are a blessing!
Oh wow, Leah! That’s some news! I see the strength of God in you every time I read a new post from you.
Tomorrow I will be 5 months in my journey of grief. You wrote about being in it 10 months now. I hope in 5 more months I can look at new areas of growth and victory in my life as you have. Your going to be a mommy again! If God placed this desire in your heart , then its His plan and He is obligated with your agreement to bring His plan to fruition in your life! Ps 37:4 AMP Delight yourself also in the Lord,and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. By this verse in my Bible, I have this written down.”The desires will be God given and God breathed. When you seek to do God’s will, He will change your desires to His desires and those new desires are part of His will for you”. Jer 29:11 AMP For I know the thoughts and plans that I HAVE FOR YOU…… God has not gotten you. Isaiah 54:5 NIV For your maker is your husband – the Lord Almighty is his name- the Holy One of Israel is your redeemer… Ps 68: 5-6 AMPA father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows is God in His holy habitation, God places the solitary in families and gives the desolate a home in which to dwell;…..God is your husband, father to your teenage daughter, to Holly, and I guess that makes you her mama! I will continue to pray for you that God will carry out His plan for your life. Love, Shannon
Shannon – Thanks for your sweet comment and filling of the Word! God will carry you through sister. The next 5 months and the 5 months and the 5 years and so on after that… God knows I’m far from being done grieving, but even so, He’s still doing this for us amongst the grief! Only God!!! I can’t wait to see all the victories He has prepared for you sister!
I have screamed with excitement so many times!!! Love how God is unfolding His blessings through Raindrops in your life! SO excited to be on this journey with you!!!
Amy – I think I’m still in shock – an excited and overjoyed shock! 🙂 He has already shown His glory in this, and it’s only the beginning! So happy you’re on this journey with me too! Couldn’t do it without you!!!
Hooray for you and Anna! I’m excited for you both. Your faith journey is amazing, Leah! Thank you so much for sharing it with all of us! Blessings to you!
Thank you Tammy! This journey has been one wild ride so far, and it’s only the beginning!