Talk about the roller coaster emotions of adoptions! This week has been filled with lows then highs then ending off in lows again. Thanking God that He is stable, faithful, the rock, and a strong tower!
Psalm 62:6 "He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken."
This week started out with the news of Ethiopia slowing down their referrals of abandoned children with adoptive families. You can read more here from week 25's post, Child in A Paper Pile.
And as you can assume from the title, it is children that ultimately suffer while they are stuck in orphanages with their hope of joining a family on hold while the government pushes papers. Orphanages and adoption agencies are suffering with funds depleting since there are little to no adoptive families making the next payment due when they are matched with children. The next payment in the adoption process goes to the agency which covers the children's care that is in the hands of the orphanage and foster homes. Adoptive parents fees cover orphanage expenses, food for the children, medical care for the children, and pays the staff that keeps it running.
As this domino effect continues, (Lord please not for long), the orphanages and foster homes are full leaving no room for more children to receive care and safe provisions. These children either will be crowded in the orphanages or left to the care of the streets.
Hmph (sigh) not good news.
Then, the amazing part of this week....
Through this adoption process I have met many wonderful people. One of them being my dear friend, Jamie. God truly arranged this friendship for the way we met and came together through both our families adopting from Ethiopia and being in the exact same stages of the process together. She has been an encourager to me, an ear to listen, and a transparent heart in sharing our real moments of ups and downs. Well, months ago we arrangements to have our families meet for the first time and that time would be near Christmas! Hoping and wishing that we would have precious little faces from our referrals to share, we also knew that if there was no news we'd need a great time together to help get us through the wait!
The kids had a blast playing together without one squabble amongst them. Our husbands enjoyed talking together right from the start, and of course Jamie and I were able to gab, laugh, and share all that God has placed on our hearts and is bringing us through during our journeys. We were able to have lunch with Allie, my friend from Ethiopia, and learn more and more about the country and culture from her too. All around it was just a splendid visit and so encouraging to share our hearts. It left us excited about meeting our children, excited for traveling to Ethiopia, and hopeful that the next time we meet it would be with our crew plus three more! Please keep them in your prayers as they wait too for a little boy. You can read more about the Ayers family adoption here at their blog site: www.ayersfamilyjourneytoyou.blogspot.com
The week ends with coming down off the high of the roller coaster emotions ride we call 'the adoption wait' with more news from our agency that the Ethiopian government is making changes in forms and processes with their adoption cases but not clearing children for adoptions. With no end in sight of when they will move forward with approving children to be matched with families, many waiting families hearts are heavy and left wondering. More important, thousands of children are left waiting too. Our countdown chart has ran off the edge and now we are adding paper rings to what will be a growing paper chain of weeks of praying and waiting for two precious orphans to come home.
Thank you for your prayers! And please continue to diligently make requests unto the Lord for His little children to be safe, comforted, and ultimately loved in a family. Pray for the government and parties that have the control to grant these children the gift of a promising future and a family, that they would act quickly. Pray for a miracle that these mountains would be moved and children would be matched with families and that the families can bring them home!
Of all the things I've learned along the way of this adoption, that God is the only one that I rely on, has been a repeated truth. All other joys and sadness are just temporary ups and downs, but His joy remains steadfast and unchanging! He keeps me level and gives me hope for each day.
So while no, I don't count on the agencies, the governments, the paper-piles and special signatures to get us to our children- I do count on the works of the Lord. And HE is what it takes to move these mountains in front of us and the hundreds of families who are waiting too! Nothing is impossible with God! Nothing is too difficult for the Lord! And that is good news to hold on to!
Psalm 18:2 "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety."
To read more about orphaned children all over the world being "Stuck" in the paper processes of adoptions, visit here: https://bothendsburning.org/ and consider watching the documentary "Stuck."
Psalm 62:6 "He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken."
This week started out with the news of Ethiopia slowing down their referrals of abandoned children with adoptive families. You can read more here from week 25's post, Child in A Paper Pile.
And as you can assume from the title, it is children that ultimately suffer while they are stuck in orphanages with their hope of joining a family on hold while the government pushes papers. Orphanages and adoption agencies are suffering with funds depleting since there are little to no adoptive families making the next payment due when they are matched with children. The next payment in the adoption process goes to the agency which covers the children's care that is in the hands of the orphanage and foster homes. Adoptive parents fees cover orphanage expenses, food for the children, medical care for the children, and pays the staff that keeps it running.
As this domino effect continues, (Lord please not for long), the orphanages and foster homes are full leaving no room for more children to receive care and safe provisions. These children either will be crowded in the orphanages or left to the care of the streets.
Hmph (sigh) not good news.
Then, the amazing part of this week....
Through this adoption process I have met many wonderful people. One of them being my dear friend, Jamie. God truly arranged this friendship for the way we met and came together through both our families adopting from Ethiopia and being in the exact same stages of the process together. She has been an encourager to me, an ear to listen, and a transparent heart in sharing our real moments of ups and downs. Well, months ago we arrangements to have our families meet for the first time and that time would be near Christmas! Hoping and wishing that we would have precious little faces from our referrals to share, we also knew that if there was no news we'd need a great time together to help get us through the wait!
The week ends with coming down off the high of the roller coaster emotions ride we call 'the adoption wait' with more news from our agency that the Ethiopian government is making changes in forms and processes with their adoption cases but not clearing children for adoptions. With no end in sight of when they will move forward with approving children to be matched with families, many waiting families hearts are heavy and left wondering. More important, thousands of children are left waiting too. Our countdown chart has ran off the edge and now we are adding paper rings to what will be a growing paper chain of weeks of praying and waiting for two precious orphans to come home.
Thank you for your prayers! And please continue to diligently make requests unto the Lord for His little children to be safe, comforted, and ultimately loved in a family. Pray for the government and parties that have the control to grant these children the gift of a promising future and a family, that they would act quickly. Pray for a miracle that these mountains would be moved and children would be matched with families and that the families can bring them home!
Of all the things I've learned along the way of this adoption, that God is the only one that I rely on, has been a repeated truth. All other joys and sadness are just temporary ups and downs, but His joy remains steadfast and unchanging! He keeps me level and gives me hope for each day.
So while no, I don't count on the agencies, the governments, the paper-piles and special signatures to get us to our children- I do count on the works of the Lord. And HE is what it takes to move these mountains in front of us and the hundreds of families who are waiting too! Nothing is impossible with God! Nothing is too difficult for the Lord! And that is good news to hold on to!
Psalm 18:2 "The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety."
To read more about orphaned children all over the world being "Stuck" in the paper processes of adoptions, visit here: https://bothendsburning.org/ and consider watching the documentary "Stuck."
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