Wonderful Wonderful Words

This has been an amazing couple of days.  We found out this week that we got travel dates to go see the girls for the first time.  This is VERY exciting b/c we were not expecting to travel until late October, and Jared will be leaving in just two weeks to go meet them!  We CAN'T wait.  We have seen videos (recently) of Jocelyn, and feel like we have  a pretty good handle on what she will be like.  We have NO updates at all on Lanie (Lillie) so that will be a lovely surprise for Jared to learn more about her.  I will not lie and say I don't wish I was going, or that i'm not jealous of Jared because, dudes, I totally am.  But this is the best way for it to work for our family.  I will go on pick-up trip and hopefully that day will come soon!

So, after calming down from that excitement, we got an early message on facebook from someone who works with the organization we are fundraising through.  I went to look at our grant and almost passed OUT cold when I saw that we had been given a 10,000 donation overnight.  I IMMEDIATELY burst into tears and called Jared, where he tried to understand what was going on through my sobbing. 

I don't know who donated the money and don't know if I ever will.  If you happen to be a reader of my blog, PLEASE know you have our never-ever ending GRATITUDE.  We can now simply focus on bringing the girls home, and not have to worry about where the money will come from.  I still tear up to think of it.  What a HUMONGOUS weight that fell just right off our shoulders and shattered into dust at my feet. 

THANK YOU DEAR ANGEL!!!    Also, thank you to everyone else who has supported us during the fundraising journey, donating even when you are adopting yourselves, buying toys im convinced most of you didn't need to help us raise that amount, tithing to us, giving when you should have been saving, sharing our story, writing heartfelt posts about us, listening to me cry with worry about the girl's health, listening to me cry with worry over money...THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!

 

 

 

One day, hopefully very soon, I will be rocking these little ladies to sleep, whispering in their ears how much they are loved.  How a whole community rallied around their mama and daddy to bring them home.  I will stroke their hair, and tell them all about the angels who gave and gave and gave, and how mama and daddy were able to rescue them, thanks to all our new friends.

 

Thank you dear friends!  From the bottom of my heart, thank you <3

Why this country?

Forgive me for not posting recently.  Nothing is wrong, I've just been feeling quiet, as we are kinda stuck waiting for things out of our control right now.  But, when I saw the picture below, my heart was stirred and I had to post SOMETHING to acknowledge this little guy. 

One of the questions we get sometimes is "why not adopt from this country".  Although there are MANY reasons we are not adopting from this country (and we do recognize that in-country adoption is a PERFECT choice for some families), this is one of the main ones. 

Please look at this sweet boy.  He is in a country that has recently CLOSED to American adoptions.  This is his before and after picture.  Before and after what you ask?  In many countries, children with disabilities are transferred from a "baby" house to a MENTAL institution that will often house children to ADULTS.  The common ages for these children to be transferred is 4-6....

Oh sweet boy, how we have failed you...how the people charged to keep you safe have failed you...how the system as a whole has failed you.  My heart broke and I wept when I saw this picture.  Beyond the obvious bruising, cuts and sores, he looks VERY thin in his recent picture. 

I won't say this NEVER happens in the USA, but it is VERY rare.  Unfortunately, this is not all that rare in different countries, especially once children are transferred. 

We have other reasons of course, for choosing to adopt out of the country, but this is a biggie for us.  We need to protect the innocent, the ones who cannot protect themselves.  I think we are all called to protect those who are weaker than us, one way or another.

PLEASE, consider helping these poor children.  Adopt, pray, advocate, donate...do something.  Call a family who is adopting and ask if you can help.  Ask if you can bring them a meal.  Ask them about the children they are adopting.  Do something...please.