Moving Mountains

Matthew 17:20

And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. Today a mountain moved. Impossible became possible. I am bowing before my Savior thanking Him for His faithfulness.  We were told our next step in the process of our adoption would be delayed nearly a month because our agency's in country rep would be taking a long holiday for Chinese New Year. To say that "momma bear" came out would probably be putting it lightly. My son has defied the odds and survived longer than expected. My son has fought valiantly to live each day. My son has gone to  bed every night for four years not knowing if he would die right there in his bed in the orphanage. Every night for a full year now I have gone to bed begging God to spare his little life and to let him know what a hug feels like, to let him know that this "condition" does not make him unworthy.

So when I heard an extra month the crazy adoption lady came forward in full force. I asked them if they would support me if I could find a way around this. If I could find someone else to deliver our papers to the embassy would they help me? They said yes. I went crazy for a full week emailing people in China, emailing friends that work for other agencies, calling our State Representative.  You get the point. Momma Bear, folks, Momma Bear. I heard a thousand no's in that week. I hit so many brick walls! Everyone said it wasn't possible. I pounded the pavement every single morning and didn't quit. I told my husband if there was a way to do this I. would. find. it. One little southern voice called me back and offered me hope. She said she wanted to help and she would look into it. She called me back late that night. Late, really late. But I didn't care one bit. She did it! She found a way to do the impossible! So, today against all odds a mountain moves. Our paperwork is being shipped to someone who isn't getting paid, someone who is going out of her way to hep our son. It should arrive on Thursday and be dropped off.  Then we wait a few days because our State Representative has already given the embassy a heads up to expedite! Woohoo. Then we send all the paperwork back over for one more short stop before we are issued our TRAVEL APPROVAL!!!! Then we get everything in order, make our tickets and get on a plane to finally, finally, finally go get our son.  Keep praying, friends. I have never been so convinced of spiritual warfare.  But I have learned a lesson. My God is mighty to save. Mountains no longer intimidate me.

This one

This one needs a family. Could it be you?

Thomas was born April 1, 2002.

He has post-operative hermaphrodism.

A fellow MAA family met him while in China and they said, “He was very sweet. This little guy wants and needs a family. Please consider him.”

The folks at Madison really want to find Thomas a family that he can call his own. So, much so that the total Madison Adoption Associates agency fee of $6500 is waived!! This little guy is important to us!

Thomas is active, energetic, bright and more extroverted than other kids. He sometimes makes funny faces to show his happiness! He can be obstinate when he’s in a bad mood, but quickly changes after a kind word from his caretaker. Thomas has great curiosity about everything, and he’s always up for new adventures!

Thomas has normal intellectual and physical development. He received corrective surgery at age 3 years and has recovered fully.

For more information, please contact Sara@MadisonAdoption.com

Friends

I have come to realize that although the waiting of this adoption feels like torture most days yet it is precisely because of that waiting that I have made some wonderful new friends and connections.

They are my lifeline. Nobody understands the pain of waiting like another adoptive mommy. It's pure therapy to reach out to them and know they honestly, 100% get it. God is so good to remind us that we are never alone and that He is with us each and every step.

While we are in the home stretch I'm living vicariously though those same friends as they blog about their time in China. I'm loving all the pictures that give me a glimpse of what is ahead of me. I cry over these blogs. No joke. Tears, buckets of tears.

Adoption is beautiful and miraculous, and grounded in brokenness. It's heartbreaking to see the nanny that sobs as she says goodbye to the baby she has been loving for the past years. It rips your heart out to see and hear how these kids are grieving. They are too young to understand and all they know is they are being handed to strangers by the same people they have loved and attached to and then those people leave. And their new mommy and daddy don't speak their language!

But it's also beautiful to see them grow attached to their mommy and daddy. It's amazing to get to see those pictures of those first attempts at bonding. So, until we get to have the experience ourselves I'm soaking in all the news of these ladies!

Go check out their blogs:

http://ourlittlepinkchinabare.blogspot.com/2013/01/gotcha-day.html

http://fortunateblessings.blogspot.com/2013/01/china-day-4.html?spref=fb

http://www.growingourfamilyto7.blogspot.com/

http://www.amountainawaits.com/

Mine

It came. Fifty five days of the longest waiting of my life. I'd be lying if I didn't admit to starting to have some doubts. But here it is! 

 LOA!!! Also, known as the Letter of Acceptance. 

He's mine, really, truly mine. 

This is a book I bought almost two years ago now when we were still in the domestic foster care program.

Little did I know, right?

We are so, so close to the end. Maybe only 8 weeks until I can finally hold my son. 

All we have left is to get our immigration approval, apply for our visa's for China

and then wait for China to issue approval for us to enter their country.

That's it!! Then we get to fly to officially make him a Hurst.

We are also so very close to finishing with our funds. 

In order to help push us to the finish line I made this bracelet to sell for only $10!

The verse I have claimed over and over again is Zephaniah 3:17

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

In the process of our adoption this little boy has grown up...

Into this handsome boy. My heart aches to make that smile come back.

Soon, little man, soon.

Hang on just a little longer!

I have learned a lesson. My God truly is mighty to save.

And He chose to save this one.

My heart overflows.

Royalty

Something miraculous happens when you step out of your own will and step into the light of the will of Christ. He changes you from that first step. He opens your eyes. He shows you the world as He sees it. I've heard it said that once your eyes are opened they never close again.

An adopting friend recently brought up the subject of how we are all so uncomfortable with others telling us that they are "proud" of us for adopting. I think we all step onto the road of adoption without knowing how God is going to change us. Somewhere in the process we no longer understand that some consider what we do a "sacrifice." Because somewhere in the process God changes our hearts and we see these children as God sees them. We see them as royalty. And they are. They are royalty. 

Have you ever watched those "Gotcha Day" videos? They are the greatest picture of God's love I think we can see on this earth. Those that the world calls orphans, deformed, handicapped are treated as royalty. The awe on the faces of those parents is breathtakingly beautiful. Is there any better picture of how God loves his children despite our sins that leave us scarred and ugly? Our hearts are orphaned and deformed and yet He calls us sons and daughters.

Kings and Queens.

The phrase "the least of these" turns my head these days. I can't understand how these kids are considered to be in that category. I see their faces everyday on blogs and on lists and sit with wonder as to why in heavens name people aren't storming the gates to gather them into their arms. Somehow God gives you His eyes and you see their "deformities" as beauty, true beauty. I've seen babies that once upon a time I couldn't even look upon and find myself wishing I could touch their faces, kiss their wounds and tell them how much Jesus loves them. They are SO beautiful. Stunning.

A doctor once told me that it didn't have to be us to adopt Simon. Someone would step forward. Why put that on ourselves? I cried for my son that day. Someone didn't think he was worth the trouble. He was too sick to bring home. God opened my eyes a little more that day and has continued to do so. 

I am the one that is privileged, not him. May he always feel like a prince in my home. I am being given the most precious gift of loving on royalty. God holds these ones close to Him and through Simon I am being given a glimpse of heaven in all of it's beauty. It steals my breath away. 

"The least of these?" 

May it never be. They are royalty, My Friends. 

Stand in awe of their beauty. 

Stunningly gorgeous.

God give us your eyes as we start this new year.  Help us, sweet Jesus, to bring them home. Fill our arms, fill our homes with the beauty that is found in these children. Teach us to love Dear Father. Teach us to love. Give us Your eyes for beauty. May we understand true beauty.

Fill our hearts

There are two boys I want us all to help. It just seems right.
It's Christmas and these boys need it to be the last one they ever spend without a family.
They need to hear the story of the Christ child that came to earth so that they could know of God's great love.

Most of you have heard of Edward and Percy and the plight to find them a family quickly. You can go here to keep up on them http://www.facebook.com/EdwardAndPercy. I am in awe of how God has moved in people's hearts all over the world for these boys. Every where I go I hear stories of people that have heard of these boys or seen them on the internet. Oh my heart, they need a family. God is moving and when God moves the world listens.

I have an amazing opportunity to share with you. A sweet friend has volunteered her time and talents to helping these boys find a family. She is going to be putting together a fundraiser for them. Here is how it works. (I'm giddy over this...it's that awesome)

She is going to put together a gorgeous scrapbook with notes of encouragement from all of us who are praying and advocating for these boys. For only $8 you can email Molly and send her your message to the boys. She will catalog them all and put them into this book and then give it to the family that adopts these boys!

Isn't that awesome???
I'm really excited about this. Goosebumps excited.
They will see that God moved the world for them. They will see our prayers for them. They will know that God is calling them out of the life of orphans and placing them into a family. They will see how very much their God has been loving them all along.

Let's poor ourselves into this. All $8 will go to the fund for these boys. Let's fill this book so that poor Molly has to squeeze in every last note of love and encouragement to them.

First mail in a check to MAA to the address here, please make sure you include a note that it is for the Edward and Percy Fund.
Madison Adoption Associates
1009 Woodstream Drive
Wilmington, DE 19810

Or you can donate online (yay, for convenience) if you follow this link:
http://www.madisonadoption.com/Donate.aspx

Then you can email Molly at mollyjtaylor@yahoo.com

Limbo Land

It's time for an update!

Most days I feel like there isn't much of an update, but each day gone is one day closer to our boy. I'd count down the days if I knew how many there would be!!

We are in limbo right now. Here's what we know.

We had LID (log in date) before Thanksgiving. My agency doesn't seem to know exact days so it was "sometime before." I count the day before as our official LID day. So, LID the 21st.

We know the China Center dealing with paperwork has agreed to expedite the dossier process. Which means faster translation and approval. On the usual timeline it takes anywhere from one to three months. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but we're already a few weeks out so I'm hoping any day now to hear that we are LOA (letter of acceptance).

Then we send a care package. It better come soon because this package keeps growing. Every time I go run errands I find just one more small thing to sneak in there!! I have two sets of Cars socks, stickers, hot wheels, a photo book, a glow stick, a coloring book and crayons. Oh, and letters/drawings from the kids.

...I had to go buy a larger envelope...

So, right now we are filling out our I800 paperwork to have ready to mail in as soon as we hear the word from China. We will be meeting with our State Representative to ask him to officially oversee that our next few steps get expedited. 

Pray, pray, pray.

I have seen God do amazing, incredible things in this adoption and I am confident that if we ask He will answer. Pray that we get that LOA in even the next few days. That would be miraculous!

We get updates from our special inside source nearly daily. :) I get to hear what he was wearing, what he ate, if he took a nap and when he gets his blood transfusion. It makes the days more bearable. 

Pray that when he goes to get his next transfusion that they have enough blood to give him. It will be sometime after the 10th of this month.

And we officially have chosen a name for him. He is Simon Ken-zhi Jiang Hurst. Simon means "God has heard." :) Love it. Love him. Want. him. home....now.