Waiting...

As soon as we began our adoption journey, I really have felt emotionally like I am pregnant with my 4th child. When I was pregnant with Cannon, our oldest, the entire pregnancy was torture! I could not wait to have that baby boy! Not really because it was physically hard, but because I couldn't wait to be a mommy. I read every book possible and asked many questions to veteran mommies. I prayed so fervently and deeply for this child.  I waited patiently for each checkup to arrive and was amazed by that little nugget of goodness on that sonogram screen. The wait was horrendous.
Then, when I got pregnant with Hartlee, that sweet little toddler boy running around my house kept me a little preoccupied and the pregnancy didn't seem to be as looooonnnnngg. And, of course, when numbero tres (Sutherlin) was created in my belly, I was so distracted by the other 2 kiddos that I was in no rush for her to enter into the world. She was just fine staying right there in my belly. :) Of course, I was so excited to know her and hold her, but I knew very well how much work newborn babies require. I was very content to wait on God's timing. :)
I am now in some strange way "pregnant" with our fourth child, even though he happens to be halfway around the world. I have prayed for him, dreamed about him, and thought often about how wonderful it will be to have him home with us. And of course, Cannon reminds me often of "Brother"...especially as we are building our new house and make plans for the room they will share together. It's even been easier that I am now done with all of the crazy insurmountable paperwork that was required to complete the dossier. And yes, it has been received in Ethiopia!!
Even when I was told that we still may have a long wait ahead of us...I didn't have much time to sit and think on that...I was too busy making dinner, washing clothes, speaking at conferences, cleaning up poop, working out, sitting in pick-up lines, preparing kids' lunches...time was flying bye. Up until now, I have been so crazy busy with life and pouring into my 3 precious children that I really haven't been so obssessed with our adoption. Life really has been nuts. It's kind of been a really sweet distraction. Up until now.
 About 3 weeks ago, the Lord spoke very clearly to me that He is calling me to a season of rest. NOT AN EASY THING FOR ME TO DO. For those of you who know me well, I am a VERY passionate person. All or nothing. In or out. Most of the time it's "all" and "in". It took one single encounter with the Lord when I was 20 years old to turn my life from black to white. Just one. And it was radical. Then, I not only wanted to be "involved" in missions, but I went ahead and jumped on a plane when I was 23 and decided to move to the Philippines to be a missionary. I love running...how about doing a marathon??...I've done 4. It took me 3 months to fall in love with Shane...we got married 3 months later. Okay, so I'm sort of figuring out that I kind of, just a little, have a passionate personality....just a little. :)
So, rest is not easy for me. But the Lord is calling me to rest, and I will obey. You can all hold me accountable to this. :) So, as I have began this season of rest, my soul has began to yearn for my son that lives in Ethiopia. I mean...yearn...like a first time pregnancy. Torture. I don't want to wait anymore. I want him to be here, home with his forever family. I want him to be able to celebrate holidays with his family. I want to hold his chocolate colored hands and kiss his sweet face. It. is. so. hard.
We went out to our new house today that we are building and wrote Scriptures on the framing. I was searching through Scriptures that I wanted to write in my childrens' rooms, and I thought often about our son in Ethiopia. I wrote Scriptures like "He defends the cause of the fatherless" (Deut 10:18) and "God sets the lonely in families" (Ps 68:6). I believe these Scriptures. I believe God's Word is Truth and He keeps His promises. I believe He will bring our son home to us in His perfect timing. I believe He is knitting this precious boy in my heart. For now...I will rest in Him.
Will you pray with us as we wait and rest in this season? What is the next step in our adoption???...When it is our turn, they will match us with our son and call us to give us our "referral". What is OUR next step in our adoption...To wait. And rest.

Home Study finally finalized...whohoo!

It's been a looooong 3 months since we "thought" our Home Study was done....But, as of today, it's officially done. Finalized. Complete. Halleluia!!! We had a little hang up that has taken months to figure out, and not to mention that we moved and had to redo our social worker's visit...but all that is said and done and we are moving forward with our adoption!! We are thrilled!

Oh yes, and remember that little piggy bank the kids started for their "brother in Ethiopia"???  It was pretty much overflowing with a grand total of over $1200.00!!! AMAZING.

Hartlee and Cannon counting their money before a BIG trip to the bank :)

$1200.00...can you believe that craziness???!!

They were so pumped. And, we are so grateful for so many friends and family who bought bracelets, gatorade, granola bars and sent us money. YOU are such a big piece of this puzzle and we say thank you from a very deep place in our hearts. I know that this made such a huge impact on our kiddos.

So, what happens next?? The I600A. I've got all the paperwork ready to send out into the mail for our I600A, which basically gives us a very important piece of paper that grants our child American citizenship as soon as he arrives in the States.

Then, we send off our Dossier to Ethiopia! (The huge pile of paperwork) So thankful that by God's grace I have been able to complete all that is needed for this and it is ready to be mailed out :) 

My sweet little man

Cannon has always been an old soul...very deep thinker, compassionate, extremely tender spirit. He talks about his brother in Ethiopia often. Most of the time he talks about what toys he will share with him and what games they will play together. He picked out a shower curtain for his bathroom that is a map of the world, so he could "remember to pray for his brother in Africa"...seriously, this little man is super in love with his brother already.  Yesterday he put post-it-notes on the couch that were labelled with our names so that we would know where to sit (lol) and he even included a spot for "brother". Shane jokes around that we are going to have to name our son "Brother" because that is what Cannon calls him all the time. He prays so often for him and mentions him to new people he meets.

A couple of weeks ago I went to tuck Cannon into bed and he was weeping. When I asked him what was wrong he said, "I just want my brother to come home", and he just cried and cried. I mean, his heart was hurting so bad. I felt like he was crying from a very deep place within. So we prayed together that the Lord would hear his cries and bring his brother home as soon as possible. Sweet little man. You're "brother" is gonna love you :)



A Finshed Home Study and 2 Super Cool Races

This past month has been filled to the brim!! We are incredibly thankful that our Home Study is complete, and the process actually turned out to be pretty great. I just love the relationships the Lord is allowing us to make along this adoption journey. We couldn't have asked for a sweeter social worker. :) Karen was so gentle and gracious...so easy to talk to. It's so funny how you can work yourself up thinking they are going to inspect every inch of your home...that just wasn't the reality. If anything, Karen brought joy and light into our home, and we are super grateful. Funniest Home Study moment involved Hartlee. My sweet little 3 year old (going on 16) was watching a movie in our room while I was meeting with Karen. She decided to come barging out of the room, and bounced right up into Karen's face and exclaimed, "I LOVE MY LIFE!!"...with a giant grin on her face! It was priceless and hilarious. I'm sure Karen thought that we prompted her to say those words, but I honestly have no idea where she got that idea. It was too funny.

We were involved in two really fun races this past month as well and they were on back to back weekends. My heart has been imprinted with two specific things: 1. We have an amazing community of incredible Jesus-loving friends and family who selflessly serve others. 2. I now have a running partner and his name is Cannon Coy Menn (I couldn't be more thrilled!) :) He completed both 5K races! So fun!

The first race was for a ministry that we just LOVE...the Still Water Camper Scamper was put on to raise scholarships for kids to come out to Still Water Sports Camp and be radically loved on by a super cool staff who are sold out for Jesus Christ. They were so gracious to allow us to have a fundraising booth. We sold Gatorade and granola bars for $1 and amazingly raised $130!!! Cannon and Hartlee were so pumped up! And, I love that they get to be involved with this process of bringing their brother home. I wish I had a picture of them putting the money into their piggy bank. :)



Our booth at Still Water Camper Scamper

Mommy's new running partner :)

The second race we were so grateful to be a part of was the OneLess race which was created by Mitch and Katie Fickey here in Boerne. The Fickey's, who are also adopting from Africa, created this race to help financially support families who are adopting. We were floored to be chosen as one of the beneficiaries of the race this year...really so humbled and honored. The race was so much fun and it was beautiful weather!! Sometimes you can feel so overwhelmed by the love the Lord is pouring out upon your life that there really are no word to express how grateful you are...all you can do is fall flat on your face in awe of the One who makes it all possible...this has been one of those moments. We are still flat on our faces. God has been so generous to us.



The Baker Family, The Fickey Family, and us :)


 


Incredible community love



So what happens next?? We are sending off our I600A packet, which allows us to get fingerprinted and receive a very important document that we will use to bring our son back into the States. Once we receive that precious piece of paper, then we can send off our dossier documents (huge mound of paperwork) to the Ethiopian government. Then, we wait to get a referral and find out who our son is. Will you pray that we get a fingerprinting appointment as soon as possible...we are ready to bring that sweet little boy home. :)

Bracelets are sold out!!

Thank you thank you thank you to our incredible friends and family who supported us by buying a bracelet!! They are all sold out and we are so thankful! The kids are really enjoying seeing people wearing them...I love how God is teaching them in this journey and knitting their brother into their hearts!

redeemed Bracelets! $10 each!

We have some really great bracelets for sale to raise money for the kids' piggy bank! :) They are saving money to get to go with us to meet their brother in Ethiopia. If you want one, please click on the link at the bottom righ that says "Buy Now" and I will get it shipped off to you! They are $10 each and make a really great gift for someone special! :)

Home Study Application...Check!

Isn't she so precious?? Sutherlin is such a cutie...so full of life, so passionate, and oh so much energy! :)
How in the world did I get all of our paperwork complete for our Home Study Application with this little ball of fire ruling my life??! I have a one word answer...G-R-A-M-M-Y.
Yes, if it weren't for Grammy and Coach in my life, I would still be at least 2 months out on paperwork. Such servants. I'm telling you, they are seriously the epitome of the hands and feet of Jesus.
So, we are celebrating one step checked off of our list to bringing our son home from Ethiopia!! If you know anyone in the international adoption world, you know how overwhelming the paperwork can be. I think I actually broke down in tears a couple of times just trying to wrap my brain around all that had to be done...and still has to be done.  And, life doesn't just stop to allow you to do it. Life keeps flying at you fast. There are still meals to be made, diapers to be changed, clothes to be washed, etc. etc. etc. Life as we know it is a little nuts now-a-days. And, my sweet sweet hubby...somehow managed to make himself sit down and hand write answers for over 100 questions after 14 hour work days...unbelievable. Let's just say, this paperwork was a hard fought battle, and we are going to pause and take time to celebrate this victory.
I'm still amazed by how God's hands have been guiding us through this entire process. His favor has been undeniable. From doctor visits, to marriage license, to notorized papers, the Lord has been faithful and good.
I had an incredible opportunity to go to an adoptive mom's conference in Georgia a couple of weekends ago. What a gift!! So much wisdom. So many good tools and ideas. I really really loved hearing from adults who were adopted as babies...such great insight. But, I was overwhelmed and amazed by two things specifically. 1. God's rich pursuit of my own heart. 2. The incredible movement of adoption all across the nation. I mean, it is evident that God's heart is for these precious precious children to be placed in families and He is ON THE MOVE. You better believe it.
So, what's next for us?? Well, we wait to hear from the Home Study Agency (should be this week) to set up a visit. They will come for 4 days to spend time with our family. Until then.......................................we celebrate.....................we celebrate a giant victory in bringing our son home. And a really phenomenal Grammy that made this victory possible.

We've been accepted!!

I really really love the way the Lord has been so near and clear to us through this process of adoption. We've only begun and He has already blown us away!! I was driving on I10 back to Boerne this afternoon when I had an overwhelming desire to check my email to see if we had been accepted by America World Adoption into their Ethiopia Program. I was really bummed to not see an email...I really wanted to hear from them today. Less than a minute after I put my phone back into my lap, it rang..."Hi, Stephanie. This is Joy with America World. I am calling to let you know that you and Shane have been accepted to the Ethiopia Program." :) Amazing. Again, the Lord was so clear in speaking to my spirit. I was really overwhelmed with joy...not only that we were accepted, but the fact that the Lord was pressing into my heart at that very moment exactly what He was wanting me to know and feel. I wept. I really love Jesus.

Our time as a family has been so sweet since we told the kids we are adopting a little boy from Ethiopia. To say they are thrilled would be an understatement. Cannon couldn't wait to go to school the next day to tell his teacher and all of his friends. He prays often for his brother in Ethiopia...really sweet, compassionate, rich prayers. Before he left for school, he wrote a letter to his brother...

 It says, "Dear Brother from Ethiopia, I am glad that you will be with us so that we can feed you. Love (Deer) Cannon."

Cannon is a pretty sweet little boy. :) He definitely has his daddy's compassionate heart for others in need. Hartlee talks alot about the fact that she will now have two brothers to take care of her. :) She is awesome. I love listening to her talk about her brother in "Etiopa". When we were looking up Ethiopia on the internet, we came across a picture of a tribal boy with paint all over his face. That seems to be all she remembers. She is so worried that her brother will come home with paint all over his face! :) They both decided they would like to save money and travel to Ethiopia with us. They have been combing the entire house looking for loose change. They squeal with joy at every penny they find! They definitely hit the jackpot when they emptied out Hartlee's piggy bank...only the Lord knows where she got all of that money!!! 

They wrote, "For our brother in Africa. We love you."



We had a super fun night taking the kids "camping" in Kerrville. We spent time talking and praying about what God is doing in our family. We each tied a red string around our wrists. Each time we see the string, we are reminded to pray for this precious little boy in Ethiopia that the Lord is knitting in our hearts. We pray for the Lord's favor in bringing him to us as quickly as possible!!

Exodus 13:17-18

A couple of weeks ago Shane and I attended an adoption seminar. Since the begining of our marriage we have wanted to adopt, but have never felt like it was the right timing. But our hearts have always yearned for it. I heard on KLOVE that America World Adoption was having a seminar at Alamo Heights Methodist Church (which happens to be the church that our current church Riverside Community Church was a church plant off of). I mentioned to Shane that I wanted to go and much to my surprise he said he would like to go too. It was a date night! :) Amazingly, we were able to get a babysitter for Sutherlin, and the other two tagged along with my parents to a basketball game my dad was coaching.
I think we were both a little nervous about attending, but just kept putting one foot in front of the other. I love the way the Lord works. When we walked into the building, we were greeted by a couple from our church who we adore and look up to as followers of the Lord. And, then we find out that they are leading the meeting!! America World Adoption is the organization they are a part of and who they used to adopt their children! Amazing! We had no idea! And, to top it off, our preacher was standing right next to them. We were blown away. In awe. Totally welcomed and comfortable. We knew that we were supposed to be there.
The seminar was full of great information and wonderful testimonies. We left with a definite "yes" answer from the Lord and were confident of our call to adopt internationally. We were so excited and a bit overwhelmed. We knew for sure that we want to adopt a little boy around Cannon's age. But, the next couple of days left us with a huge question "Where in the world are we being called to adopt FROM??" It was almost too overwhelming.
Shane's close friend and business partner currently lives in Brazil. He felt a strong pull towards adopting from Brazil. I just had no idea. Every country I looked into I completely fell in love with. I could easily want to adopt from any of them.
The next morning I was able to spend some quiet time alone with the Lord. I kept asking of the Lord to speak to me, to show me where our child is from. My mind went over all the countries I had looked at the night before. My heart ached for the children in each of them. Then, as clear as day I heard "Ethiopia". What??? Really? No, that couldn't be right, Shane is pretty set on Brazil. I shared with Shane and he didn't think Ethiopia was where we were supposed to adopt from. I spent the next couple of days totally second guessing myself and what I had heard. I spent hours on the internet searching Brazil and Russia adoption. I kept going back to Ethiopia. Shane and I talked and talked about it, but could come to no conclusion. I met with my friend, Courtney, during the week (who has 2 adopted children) and told her that I was at the point of giving up. It's too hard! It's overwhelming! Where do we adopt from?? I was so confused. It would be easier to just let it all go.
A couple of days after that, I dropped the kids off at school and laid Sutherlin down for a nap. I couldn't wait to be alone with Jesus. I missed Him. I just wanted to sit at His feet and be with Him. No agenda. I prayed some, then opened up my Bible where I had left off the day before. I had been reading in Exodus, so I began in chapter 13. I love God's Word. And, I really love the Old Testament. Moses was leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt into the Promised Land. Then I came to verse 17, "When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." It immediately struck me that this is what I was feeling about adoption. I was facing "war", conflict that was too much to handle, so I just wanted to change my mind and forget about the whole thing. I remembered the conversation I had with Courtney. I felt as though the Lord was speaking to me through these Scriptures. I heard Him saying "I will give you favor. You will not face war. I do not want you to change your mind." The Lord was very near in that moment. I could feel His presence. I felt encouraged, lifted, heard. I kept reading. Verse 18 says, "So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea." I just stared at those words. The Red Sea. The Red Sea. The Red Sea. And then I knew it. I don't know geography well, and honestly I have no idea where the Red Sea is. But, in that moment, I knew it had to be by Ethiopia. I knew the Lord was speaking to me. I knew He was saying ETHIOPIA.
I frantically grabbed my phone and googled "Ethiopia" and "Red Sea". When the screen popped up I sat in awe. A huge picture of Ethiopia showed up and right smack on top of the country sits the Red Sea. Amazing. He has spoken. The Lord speaks. I knew in my spirit that the Lord was calling us to adopt from Ethiopia. I was confident of it.
I called Shane and shared with him what I had read and what the Lord has spoke to me. Unbeknownst to me, the night before, Shane had watched a video of a precious little Ethiopian boy that our friends are adopting and bringing home very soon. The boy was saying his colors in English and getting so excited when he got them correct. Shane watched the 4 minute video and fell in love. The Lord told him he also had a son in Ethiopia. He knew in that moment that we were supposed to adopt from Ethiopia. Incredible. He shared this with me and I wept!! The Lord has spoken! The Lord has clearly showed us the path to take....the road to the Red Sea. We stand in awe. We have a son in Ethiopia. Will you pray for him?