Leah Stirewalt

Out of Deep Waters

The Wait is Almost Over!

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The Wait is Almost Over!I write this with less than 4 hours of sleep in the last two nights. I sit at my gate in the Paris airport listening to a melting pot of languages flood the air. I’m tired, but my body can’t rest, because my brain won’t allow it to. Simply because…

WE PICK UP OUR CHILDREN TOMORROW!!!!

These are the three little Bulgarian cuties we’ve been waiting so long to introduce to you. They will be orphans no more. Once again…they have a mommy and a daddy to call their own. Most likely, they have little (if any) memory of the ones who gave them physical life. And yet…now they have the chance to make new memories…to grow up in a family…to have hope for a future…and, to prayerfully meet the One who gave them this future.

Most of us have had those moments in our life when we feel like we’re walking in someone else’s dream (or nightmare). Those surreal experiences where we honestly can’t believe we’re living out the moment we find ourselves in at that point in time. I’ve had a few of those in my lifetime, and this certainly makes the top three!

It’s hard to fathom walking into their orphanage tomorrow for the last time and walking out with three new children who now have our last name.

It’s hard to fathom flying back to the United States and going through the non-US Citizen line, as we complete the steps of helping our children to become instantaneous citizens by virtue of adoption.

It’s hard to fathom how I was a single, widowed mom of one daughter only five years ago, and now I’m about to be mom/step-mom/foster mom to NINE children/young adults! Whaaattt???

It’s hard to fathom how we began this adoption knowing it would cost between $40-50K with no means to pay for it on our own and yet never doubted God’s call and His ultimate provision. And…He showed off big time!

It’s hard to fathom how we’re going to handle the challenging days ahead as we learn to parent three little ones who speak no English.

As surreal as this all is to me in this very moment…it’s the life God’s given me, and I can’t wait to see how He continues to reveal His glory throughout my life.

He reached for me when I was drowning in the deepest of “grief waters”, and He rescued me. He’s restored my life beyond my wildest dreams! And…now, He’s begun to do the very same thing for our three newest children!

The wait is almost over…they are coming home!

Only 8 More Days!

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Only 8 More Days!I can’t believe the time is almost here! In only 8 days, we leave for Bulgaria for what’s commonly dubbed as our “pick up” trip. Unlike the trip we made this past June/July, we won’t be returning home after having to leave our children in their orphanage for a little while longer. This time…THEY ARE COMING HOME WITH US!!!!

While the wait has seemed unbearable at times, we know that compared to many adoptive families, our wait has been very short. We began this journey just under 20 months ago.

We can’t wait to share pictures of the newest Stirewalt kiddos, and believe me…pictures will go out the moment we land safely back in the states (November 21). So stay tuned…

Until then…we still have much to do:

  1. Packing for 5!
  2. Finishing the kiddos’ bedroom.
  3. Purchasing last minute items we still need for them.
  4. Finishing up tasks at work, as I prepare to take adoption leave.
  5. Meal prep and freezer cooking to have some things ready to eat after we get home.
  6. Scheduling doctor/dental/vision appointments for our children for when they get home.
  7. And so much more…

So many of you have “traveled” this adoption journey with us…you’ve prayed for us, donated to our fundraising efforts, prayed, gathered clothing for our children, prayed, sent gifts, prayed, and…did I mention…you prayed!?!?! Without a doubt, prayer has been the single most important gift to our adoption journey! Without it, we shudder to think how difficult and much harder this process could have been. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

While it may seem our adoption is coming to end, it’s actually only just beginning. The paperwork piece of it is finishing up (although, there will still be post-adoption visits and reports for two years), but the parenting portion is just starting. We’ll have many challenges up ahead, and we’ve been as prepared for those as we can possibly be, but we also know the there will be “surprises” as well. As a result, continued prayer is vital. Anytime the Lord prompts you to pray for us, please do so. Thank you, in advance!

We continue counting down the days until we get those cuties home!