Redirection

Please pray as God seems to be redirecting us back to a Chilean adoption. I'll fill in the details later, since I don't have time tonight, but we are excited to see what God is going to do!

Confirmation AGAIN!

God just keeps on pointing us to Nicaragua! Yesterday I went to the national adoption center here in Chile to inquire about the possiblity of jumping through their hoops to adopt from here. I am truly amazed at what I heard! First of all, there is a program for Chilean nationals that we will qualify for once we've been granted our permanent residency AND have had that residency for no less than 2 years. In other words we'd qualify in 4 more years to BEGIN a Chilean adoption. Second, there is a program for foreigners, but we don't qualify for that one either because we are living here. So basically we want to jump through their hoops but we can't join the circus here in Chile.

That just reconfirms everything God keeps telling us - "Nicaragua is where the children I have for you are waiting."

For now, we are doing what we can to speed up the adoption process. We've begun some adoption classes on-line to make our homestudy move faster, and then when we get our final approval from the ABWE board in July, we'll really begin the long process.

Not from Chile

Yesterday I received confirmation that we cannot adopt from Chile until we have our permanent residency and even then it is an EXTREMELY LONG process. Therefore we will begin the adoption process through Nicaragua in July. For now we are taking classes on-line toward our homestudy. It is a great time of Doug and I talking and processing things together. I love it when we take a class together and can grow intellectually and spiritually together and over the same material. Keep praying for our future children and for patience for us!

The Twins

Praise the Lord! The twins have a family seeking to adopt them!!! I had asked you to pray that even if we were not their forever family, that they would get a family soon! Praise God they do have a family!

Now, what? We continue in the process seeking the children GOD has for us! We are excited to see God work and someday finally bring home our next 2 kids.

The Answer

Thank you SOOOO much for praying!!! We met with the men on Wednesday and after we presented our reasons and timeline, they voted to grant us permission to adopt 2 children, beginning the process in July. PRAISE GOD!!! Therefore, we have 2 more steps with ABWE to get through. 1. is to have the full field council vote on the recommendation of the work committee that we be granted permission to adopt. 2. is at the next ABWE board meeting, which won't take place until July, our field team administrator will ask permission from the ABWE board. Then we can begin by applying to the agency that will help us adopt from Nicaragua.

I am excited. As I've moved into this house, so many of my thoughts have been about how to set up the house to allow for 2 more kids. Things like putting the medicines and cleaning agents out of reach, setting up Caleb's room to add the top bunk when we need to.

This process will be long and sometimes overwhelming, but we are excited to see God continue a process that has been on our hearts for years and years.

Wednesday

This Wednesday is significant in our lives, first it is Hannah's 7th birthday. It is always a joyous occasion to remember the birth of our second child, but it also makes me wonder. Have we missed the birth of our next 2 children? Are they already out there waiting for us???

This being said, the second reason Wednesday is significant is that we are going to talk to our field team leaders this Wednesday. We will be presenting our desire to adopt and asking them to approve our adopting 2 children. We still wouldn't be able to officially begin the process of adopting until our field council and ABWE's board also approve. ABWE's board won't meet again until July, so we have to at least wait until then.

Please pray that the powers that be will listen to our request, the reasons for our request now, and that we will be open to their wisdom and knowledge. We'll let you know their recommendation.

Poem in the Night

Last night I was trying to go to sleep and my mind just kept spinning with the twins in Nicaragua. Then God kept saying, "Wait and be patient. They are my kids and I will take care of them." I began composing a poem about being thankful for the 2 beautiful children that God has already given us. I told myself that I should have gotten out of bed and written it all down, but I was just too tired, so I fell asleep. And wouldn't you know it, I can't remember a word of the wonderful poem that I had "written" in my head.