One Sought Me

Celebrating and praising the Lord for bringing Tarik home!  Today marks 8 weeks that Tarik has been home in the United States with his forever family!  Everyday we thank our God for this precious gift through adoption! Tarik is doing amazing! We can tell he is covered in prayer and that God's hand is upon him.  God's story in Tarik's life continues to unfold. I can honestly explain these last 8 weeks best by comparing it to having a new born baby. We are new to each other.  And just like a new mom to a newborn baby, I am learning about my child.  What sounds he makes mean that he is happy.  What sounds and facial expressions translate to meaning he wants something, he's hungry, or getting bored with a toy.  Remember we don't speak the same language. What are his interests, his likes and dislikes, his food preferences, his temperament...and the list goes on and on.  It is my joy of a responsibility as a mom to learn about and respond to my son...

After nearly 3 years of being in this adoption process to bring our little boy home, 45 weeks of pictures, ups and downs, pleading prayers, praises, miracles, and sharing our hearts for the orphan care to anyone we meet, we are finally getting to the last STEP !!! Our adoption case goes before the Ethiopian court prior to our arrival in Ethiopia.  At the court date, which was held on May 29th, there was a request for more information.  Yes, updated paperwork.  Thankfully, and truly grateful that the paper has been resubmitted to the courts!!  Now we wait.  Nothing new there right?  Well, we wait for ONE signature, ONE final approval before we get THE CALL to travel and meet our son!!!   At this point we are packing our bags, and on pins in needles awaiting a phone call that could give us approximately 10-15 days notice before we are to be present in the courts in Ethiopia!! PLEASE be praying as we are up against a deadline.  The ONE perso...

We are ever so grateful for this Easter season as we reflect on the LOVE that God, our Father, has for us!  So much, He loves us, that He sent His son Jesus to rescue us from sin that separates us from joining with our Father in Heaven.  What a day to rejoice and celebrate the Jesus rose from the grave and conquered sin and death!!  A NEW LIFE given to those who believe so we may spend eternity with our Heavenly Father!  A family united! On the Saturday before Easter Sunday we received a special letter in the mail that moves us forward in our adoption process!  The US Embassy letter that shows our case has been reviewed and passed investigations!!  SUCH. A. Great. DAY!!  We are thrilled and praising our God for making a way for our family to be united and for little Tarik to start his new life as a precious son! Today we mailed out that letter that then gets some run-around here in the states before being sent to Ethiopia.   Next steps, cou...

Recently, I came across some Scripture that really reminded me of how pleasing it is to the Lord when we, as His people, help each other, help those in need, and bring help to the poor.  We will look at those in a moment, but as I read, I was reminded of all the giving and generous hearts who have deeply helped our family, other adoptive families, and this support for adoptive families is focused on helping the orphaned child, the oppressed, poor, and lonely.  For this, for helping the 'least of these', God is well pleased.  He sees a giving heart as an offering! The following is the 2014 Fundraising Report for orphan care!  As you can see, some fundraising was directed to helping other adoptive families during our One Sought Me Walk event, Foster Home in Ethiopia Medical Project, Erin's mission trip to Alex's House orphanage in Haiti, and donations to our Vogtman family adoption's additional expenses. One Sought Me Walk 2014 for the Stickley Family's Adop...

Please be in prayer! We need some mountains moved!! It's called "Mount Paperwork-more."  We are 9 weeks after referral now and waiting for the 'next step' of paperwork documents to be mailed to us from Ethiopia.  These documents are crucial as we can't move forward until we receive these papers.  Next, they get sent from us to the U.S. Immigration Services to be reviewed as a visa eligibility type of a check, and orphan verification/background clearance. About 3 weeks ago we were expecting these documents to arrive as was our agency.  With many sprints to the door to see if the chimes were that of the Fed Ex man holding a glowing package of treasured documents, our little hearts are tuckered out.  A new week is about to begin and a new list of delivery orders!  With refreshed and ever hopeful hearts, we come to the Father again in prayer asking for mountains to be moved and oceans to soon be crossed so we can give Tarik a family. Praying strong and h...

These little toes belong to a very special little boy!!  We are all so excited when we get our weekly update photos of Tarik.  Tonight we were at the park when the e-mail came through.  Todd and I looked at our handsome little guy and soak in every little bit of him and his surroundings.  Then the kids came over and squealed with happiness to see their little bro.  Praise the Lord for a healthy report this week!  This week we put up the crib!  As you can see, the kids helped out as Todd assembled the crib, once again. This crib has been used for all the children and here it goes up a fifth time!  We haven't quite narrowed down the nursery 'theme' or anything yet, but I just wanted to put the crib up already!  It definitely makes the news of  "a baby is coming" seem more real.   One month has past since our first news of little Tarik.  We are happy for the communication that we have with our agency, and grate...

We have been very excited these last few weeks after getting our referral of a little boy from Ethiopia!  Thank you so very much for your prayers thus far and we are asking for continued prayers as there is still quite a journey yet ahead of us.  Currently, from our agency, we are receiving weekly photos and an update report including his weight, height, and general health. As our agency policy has it, and for good reason, we are not allowed to put his information or photo on the internet or any social media sources for the protection of the child and respect for his privacy. I'm sure you all understand but are still dying to see his precious little self!!  I'll tell you one thing: he has brown eyes! LOL! This week his health report was "good" and his photo was of him wearing a little girl's shirt.  He did look like a beauty! The foster home isn't too particular about gender typing the clothing.  If it fits, they wear it.  :) Please continue to p...

We are so thrilled and extremely grateful to the Lord for directing our paths and leading us to this day that we can announce that we accepted a referral of a precious little one!! Our adoption process through Ethiopia has opened our hearts and stretched our minds in ways we never knew possible!  In several ways, Todd and I are not the same people who started off in this journey 2 years ago. And for that, we also praise the Lord for His goodness, His love, and His teachings.  God has shown us more of himself through His word, through life events, provisions, trusting journeys, changes of the course, ups and downs, and now He has shown us His little precious child who needs a family! Finally the day has come that we can announce that we have a referral!!!!!!   Thank you Lord! Our agency called us in the evening and it was a blessing that the entire family was together.  I have our agent's number on a special ring tone so when I heard that it was her, and ...

Thank you so much for checking in with our adoption process!  Thank you for thinking of us, praying for us, and encouraging us as we continue to wait for news!  God hears every prayer and for that we are very thankful! As many of you already know, we are hoping to adopt two siblings from Ethiopia. We started this process in December of 2012, completed our home study, and all requirements were completed in June 2013 and to Ethiopia by August 2013.  It's been a long wait and amazing road thus far!  God is with us all the way.  He goes before us, and He stands beside us. Last week we received a phone call from our agency.  Not "the call" that we were expecting, but we knew this adoption journey would be long one, and turns out it's a winding road too.  Twists and turns, waiting and more waiting that is out of our control. However, we rest in the peace that God is in ultimate control of this adoption journey. Our agency proceeded to tell us that in...

I'm trying not to look at the blog timeline that on June 24th, 2013 our dossier was mailed off to our adoption agency.  What a day of celebration and relief that was to have all the paperwork completed and out of our hands.  And now, it's been almost a year..... I'm trying not to look that this week our home study expires and we will have to start our paper work process all over again....yes, allllll over again.  Doctor appointments for clear bills of health, bank statements, house inspections, fingerprinting.... more costs! I'm trying not to look that my baby who was a tad older than 2 when we started this process is now weeks away from turning 4. I'm trying not to look at the stack of luggage and travel supplies in my closet just waiting to be put to use. I'm not going to mention our cute little count down calendar has been full for months now and then after moving to adding paper chain links, that I just stuffed it all in the cabinet... .trying n...

January 7, 2014 Last week's stories of Ethiopia closing to international adoptions are now settling, rumors hushed, and more accurate reports are making their way through adoption agencies then to anxious adoptive families. (You can read about it here and here ). We are told that although Ethiopia has several officials lobbying for international adoption being kept open as an option, there are several against it as well.  These battles will continue but for now international adoptions will remain open and that change, if any, won't happen overnight. Considering what we have seen with the pace of how paperwork moves there, this change won't be happening anytime over the next year either.  So a sigh of relief for sure is due!  "Aaaahhhhhh"....There. Do we feel better now?  Yes? Well, then what is taking so long? (read here, Child in a Paper Pile ) Process, process, and more papers moved, and more process... all in all this is our time to find the joy in th...

Friends, we are asking with weary hearts for prayer for the children of Ethiopia - Will you join us in storming the gates of Heaven with prayer and petition?  You see, there is huge battle going on of which many are unaware.  That battle is for the rights of abandoned and orphaned children to be loved and cared for in forever families.  What seems to be a basic human right and common sense from one human to understand about another, is being stripped away from the most innocent and vulnerable- those who can't defend themselves, and they are the children. Over the years several countries have closed their doors to international adoptions.  Not because they have grand plans to stop the poverty, or provide for the hurting families.  Not because they are setting up systems in their own country to support the children, for third world countries don't have these resources to fund even the best intentions of plans.  But, you see, when countries close their doo...

Week 25 Waiting for news just came to a close and here is what we know:     I have to say that I am very frustrated today, yesterday, and well, it's just a bubble of anger that has been brewing since we've heard rumors.  Yesterday the news was confirmed and so this pot is just boiling over.  It happens. Let me give you some background information on the adoption process first.  After our six months of diligently working to get all of our appointments complete, interviews, doctor reviews, papers signed, meetings, notarized letters, State sealed, government approved, etc. etc. our grand 'dossier' (collection of papers and approvals) are complete with the US and are now registered in Ethiopia to be processed there. In Ethiopia the organization that is similar to our Social Services and child protective services is called MOWA.  MOWA stands for Ministry of Women's Affairs and they oversee the care of the children in Ethiopia. They are responsible...

Ok, so this wait is getting long huh?  We are on week 21 now of having our papers completed and registered in Ethiopia - meaning that on our end, we are ready for the kids! But, in Ethiopia, apparently they aren't ready for the Vogtmans!  Well, that or the processes and offices and agencies and orphanages and lawyers and such aren't getting the green lights to move forward with referrals.  Because actually, there are kids ready for us, ready for a family, ready for a warm home, love and care.  Just waiting for this to all come together! If you recall, Ethiopia undertook a change in the laws and processes of international adoptions as of Sept. 1, 2013.  And we fall under this new change. The new and current law states that the children need to have evidence of their abandonment/relinquishment. The "change" is a yin-yang situation.  What I mean by that is, there is good and bad to this when it comes to waiting time.  Which would you like to hear first...

Here we go again! A N O T H E R week is going by and we are waiting and waiting for our referral of two little precious children being added to our family through adoption!! What does that really  mean?  Well, anytime, any day now, we could get "the call" that will be our agency telling us that two little orphan kiddos (siblings, and ages 0-5 years) have been cleared through the Ethiopian processes to be matched with a forever family.  It's exciting, and it's hard to wait, but we know that God is in control and He is never late.  His timing is perfect. So what about this waiting stage???   Seems like nothing "exciting" is really going on when we are sitting around doing nothing but waiting.  But that perspective is only our impatience speaking.  In reality, and in God's perspective, there are many exciting and miraculous things going on in our adoption process- it just happens to be things we do not see or know about yet.  If I evaluate myself...

Week 17  "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts."  Colossians 1:27 If only that verse were as simple as it first reads.  Read it again and key in on the word "rule."  Really that verse is a continuing commitment that I turn over to the Lord and that is for Him to "rule" in my heart.  What else fights for the throne of my heart and wishes to "rule" it?  My plans, my way, my wishes, not to mention worries, anxiousness, and busyness.  These things I put aside and once again surrender to His ways and lay my worries at the feet of Jesus. HE knows all things, He is the giver of peace, He is in control. Father God, Rule in my heart and let your peace be ever present and strong in my heart and through my life.  One day has enough troubles of it's own, lest I worry about tomorrow's.  Lord, help me to surrender all to you and rest in the truths of your power over me.  Don't let my worries and busyness fight for the throne of my he...