Finally The Announcement!!

We.

Are.



ADOPTING.

Someone is excited!!

I am sure most of you could have put the pieces together as I add blog after blog to my blog roll of amazing families who are on this journey as well. I find my inspiration in them and when I am feeling like maybe this isn't right for us, one of them posts something or I get an email from one of them that just solidifies the fact that this is where God wants us and this is what he has called us to do.

There are many factors that went into this decision and many things that were just simply God moments that made this all come about.

1. Awful Awful infection after my delivery, I would have never uttered the words adoption had I not been in that hospital bed with an unknown infection, a mama bear without her cub as my dad put it, angry and mad and sure that I would never go through the experience of child birth again.

2. Got over said angry and mad emotions as I grew to love and adore the blessing that is my daughter (BUT adoption was still uttered in that hospital bed, and a seed was planted)

3. Went to Women of Faith in August and heard the Chapmans beautiful story of adoption, saw countless World Vision promos and pleas for help. The seed began to blossom.

4. Read "Choosing to SEE" by Mary Beth Chapman... ok this seed is a full blown fire in my heart to help others just like their baby girls, just like my Lydia only not as fortunate to have been born in a country where the fact that I had to undergo an emergency c-section meant she got a chance at life, that we both did.

5. Stumbled across The Anderson Crew blog, randomly e-mailed Emily, which I had never done up to that point, I was a silent lurker. But I was moved by her announcement and interested in their journey. I thought China was where God was leading me until I heard the word "Ethiopia" and I started researching. The statistics, the stories, the pictures spoke to my heart especially my heart as a new mom.

6. Ethiopia took a piece of me from the moment we decided this is where we were going and it will be there until we bring our darling baby home and I hope it stays over there so I never become comfortable doing nothing to help.

Being a mom has changed me, God has used my new roll in this world to uncover a desire that I didn't know I had, to uncover a longing to help someone's Lydia, I see her in the eyes of the orphans all over the world, not just Ethiopia. But Ethiopia is where God put my heart, it is where God has a child waiting for us.

Our time-line is flexible as my husband and I do not have the best paying jobs in the world. So we are setting out on the mission to raise as much of the funds as possible before we are comfortable applying. We have chosen our agency, we have completed our pre-adoption paperwork and spoken with staff at our agency. We just feel as though we will be more prepared once we have a large portion saved and don't have to worry where the next check will come from. I am not worried, "My God is a God who provides!" he will help guide us in ways that will help bring this baby home.

Feel free to check out the Why Ethiopia section at the top of my blog, there is a video that rocked my world and I hope it will lead you to support us through the most important part of this journey... in prayer. Pray for Matt, Lydia and I as we answer the tough questions from those that won't understand, as we go through the paper chase and the wait that is the adoption process, and please pray for our child that we have not yet met, pray for the family and the mom of this sweet baby that we already love.

It's going to be a journey, one that will never really end because we cannot forget the others, we cannot pretend we do not know.

James 1:27 “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress…”