Joyful News

Ok, so did the title make anyone else's heart skip a beat?!?  I wanted you to be able to experience the joy I had this morning as a read a fellow bloggers page.  They are on the "list"!!!  Why you might ask is that joyful news?...things are moving.  Even though I would have loved to be able to say that the joyful news was that our dossier has been finally accepted and we have our referral, this is the next best thing.  We have been waiting to hear something new since Oct. 17 since our dossier was translated at IHNFA.   Things are finally moving!

We did hear as well last Friday that our agency is in the process of Certification.  Things look like they are getting cleared up with our agency as well.  PTL!!

I do ask for specific prayer for our founder of our agency as well as at least one other who are down in Honduras this week meeting with people there.  Our prayer is that while he is there things will be all cleared up and things can continue moving for us as well.

We go from having a heavy heart  2 weeks ago to  rejoicing and praising God!

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Ps. 95:1

Breathing a Little Easier

Well, for a week that started out a bit rough it is ending a little easier.  We are breathing a bit easier as well -except for during the vigorous walks I took this week!  We received news that our agency being barred is a temporary thing.  With the change of leaders in IHNFA, Living Hope had to get new documentation saying that they are a legit agency.  We received word that that paperwork is now in Honduras and was personally handed over by our attorney.  As difficult as it was for a brief time, I look at it as God using this time to draw me (us) closer to Him. We hope that all of this will be able to be finalized so that when IHNFA is ready to start approving dossiers we will be in that pile and hopefully receiving our referral as well (that still may be quite a ways off though). 

I was encouraged on Wednesday night on GMC ( I had dvr'ed it from Tuesday night) the show "The song that changed my life". The song that they were featuring was from Steven Curtis Chapman's "When Love Takes You In" and the family was sharing that they had started their journey to adopt from China.  Four years later they received their referral of a 14 month old little girl.  The statement that really hit me was what the wife said, "She wasn't even born for most of the time we were waiting". I continue to trust that God led us to Honduras with such a passion that he has a goal for us to bring home our little girl and trust in His perfect timing.

I continue to thank God for the love He has given our family for you little one.  We continue to pray that God is bring people in to care for you and show you love as well as prepare you for the day we meet.

Aching Heart

We continue to wait on news with a tremendous ache in our hearts.  Last night we were hit with quite a jolt-some more unknown with the process.  We are now waiting to hear from our agency that things are able to continue to progress.  It has now been just about 1 year since we started this journey.  Who would have ever thought there would be the ups and downs that we have experienced-only God!

In the midst of crying out to God (through last night and this morning)to try to understand all that is going on, a good friend sent me a good reminder.  "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.  Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:8.

What a peace after spending time refreshing myself in God's word and the warmth of His embrace He gave.  I do put my total trust in Him that He is in the drivers seat and I just need to put my head back in the passenger seat and say "Go Ahead, I trust you to get us to where we are to be".

Even if the purposes of the potholes (like the ones in our driveway :) ) are to just get us to slow down and be reminded to trust that God will not just get us past these but make the repairs along the way.

I don't believe that God gave us this passion for just to see the need but to make a difference in the life of a little one who is in need of a family at least as much as we need her. 

Little one of ours, we are ready, but we understand that for whatever reason it is not our time to be together yet and pray that God is caring for you in His own way more than we could ever love or care for you and we all look forward to the moment we can be together as a family of five where ever you  may be.

-Love your mommy

News and Rumors

On the one hand, I am so thankful for many friends and family that ask if we have heard any news on the adoption.  On the other hand, every time someone asks and I have to reply that there is nothing new, it reminds me that we are only two weeks away from the one year mark in this process.  One year doesn't seem like a long time, and in the grand scheme of things it is only a blink of an eye, but at the same time it feels like I am back in school again watching the clock tick by second by second until the bell would ring for the last time before the shackles of school would be cast aside for summer break (or something like that).  In other words, at times the waiting seems painfully slow.

News - we read a rough translation of a news article from Honduras that says the new director of IHNFA has been appointed by the President.  We do not know how soon he will start and what the process will be for him and for us as things move forward.

Rumors - There have been rumblings in an email group that we are part of with other families adopting from Honduras that they have been told that referrals will begin again in February.

We are not putting a lot of stock in the rumors, but we are praying that the rumors are true and that the process will begin again in the next month.

Prospero Año y Felicidad

We have friends that have made it an annual tradition to give us a Christmas decoration that sings a song, makes some sort of noise, or moves.  One year, they bought us a stuffed chihuahua that sings the song Feliz Navidad with a strong Spanish accent.  As we packed away the decorations this year, I kept hearing this song ringing in my ears.  We haven't posted anything in a while, partly because there hasn't been any new news to report, and partly because we were really hoping to have our referral before Christmas.  We know that there will be nothing done in Honduras over the holidays, and we have been told that January is a slow month for getting work done in Honduras since the public schools are on break (much like our summer break).  With the disappointment hanging over us, and our continued declaration of dependence upon the Lord for His sovereign timing in all of this, I hear that Spanish Chihuahua singing that line - Prospero Año y Felicidad.  "A prosperous year and happiness".  We know that the Lord has a child that He has chosen for us.  A child that needs a home and a family, and we are a family that desires to be impacted by this little one.  To our little one, whomever you are, we love you and pray for you and wish you a Prospero Año y Felicidad.