Addy Rose

Choosing a child's name is never an easy task! Throw adoption into the mix and it is a whole lot more complicating! 
Birth name? 
New name? 
Meaning?
African?
American?
The list goes on.

After contimplating all our options and getting advice from other adoptive parents, we have decided to give our baby girl a name WE (her mother and father) have chosen for her.  She will be welcomed into a new family with a new identity, a new story. She will share our life and our story.

When parents name a child, they are welcoming him (her); their identifying him (her) with them, forever.

Russell Moore "Adopted for Life"

We will more than likely never know where her name came from (whether it was from her birth parents or one that was given to her so she had something to be called).  We  also wanted to keep some part of her past with her, and therefore have chosen to name our precious baby girl:
Addy Rose 

We both loved Addy from the start, but were a little thrown off as to how popular it is (typically Addison)....once we saw her face and decided on her middle name (Rose, which is derived from her current name), Addy just fit. Growing up, I LOVED the American Girl books.  Growing up in small town ND, I didn't know a single black person...the only connection I had at the time was with one of my American Girl favorites, Addy. 

Someone at church today asked me if the excitement has worn off yet.....umm, no way;)  We still can't quite believe we have a baby girl waiting for us in Africa.  It's quite surreal and overwhelming.  Even though we cannot hold her and see her face to face, the love we have for her pains us.  These next six months (give or take) are going to be extremely tough and emotional. 

As soon as we tell someone our news, the first question is always, "When can you go get her?"  When we respond SIX MONTHS no one can believe it. 

Here is a little break down of our painful wait:

• Right now our dossier is being translated (hopefully it will be done soon!)
• Dossier sent to the DRC
• Notification of dossier received in DRC
• Scheduling and completion of Court date (usually 30 days or so after dossier is in DRC)
• Completion of 30-day non-appeal time (30 days)
• Child’s post-adoption documents processed (30 days or so)
• File the I600 in the US (8 weeks)
• Arrange our embassy appointment in Kinshasa (DRC) and coordinate TRAVEL to Kinshasa

Oh dear Addy, how we pray you are being well cared for.  We pray you are healthy, comfortable, and loved on.  I wish I could go to sleep and wake up with six months gone so you could be in my arms. 

One of my girlfriends is expecting a baby in October and said something about us being on the same page waiting for our children.  I can tell you after three pregnancies, this is a much different feeling.  Yes, in both instances there is the waiting and hoping and dreaming.  But with international adoption, the waiting is much different than a pregnancy.  The pregnancy is like what we just got done with!  Heck, we started the adoption process last June...which was 9.5 months ago....we have just gotten DONE with our pregnancy!  Our child has been born but we cannot hold her, see her, touch her, or feel her.  Our sweet Addy is living fatherless in an orphanage a half a world away. 

Our next update of sweet Addy will be our monthly picture we'll receive.  For now we'll continue to pray for her and dream about seeing her face to face. 

Love from our family to yours!

OUR BABY GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can hardly sit down to type this post....my heart is pounding, my eyes are tired, and I'm just too frazzled!!!

Yesterday morning at Bible study I had wanted to ask everyone to pray that our referral comes Thursday (today) or Friday, but decided to keep quiet as I feel like that's all I talk about lately!  Later last night I decided it wasn't too selfish to ask, so I threw out a note on FB asking others to please pray that we receive our referral before Bobby leaves on Saturday for a week....

Well, the praying paid off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was in a work meeting all day today while Bobby was working in Hebron (about 45 mins away)...I anxiously kept looking at my phone to be sure I didn't miss a call or email.  Bobby and I agreed this morning that if we did get "the call" I'd wait to see her face until he came home.

When I got home my mom and I decided to take the kids for a walk so I ran in to change my clothes and stopped quickly to check my email....

1 new message. 

           From: Stephanie (our family coordinator). 

                                  Subject: Referral

I was totally caught off guard as I was expecting a phone call to tell us the email was coming....boy did I want to click on the file and take a peek!!!! I don't know how, but I did wait for Bobby to come home (we took our walk to pass the time...but I was a little giddy to say the least!). We got home from the walk just in time to get the video camera set up before Bobby walked in. 

While Eli and Owen were playing on the deck (Ayla left for gymnastics with grandma), I pushed record and we opened the file....oh how one email can change the world!

I hope to be able to share our videos (one of Bobby and I and one of the kiddos) sometime so you can see our initial reactions!  Words cannot express our feeling, thoughts, or emotions...

Our baby girl....right in front of us.
Adorable.
Loved.
Perfect. 
God's gift.
Ours.

Her face is already etched in my mind.  Oh how we long to touch her, hug her, cuddle her, and welcome her *in person* to our family.   But for now, all we can share is her picture.  Her sweet, delicate face and her tiny little body.

Isn't she precious?!!!??!?!??!?

We cannot share more information about her right now....but PLEASE keep her in your prayers!  We are saddened of the situation that brought her to our family and ask that you also pray for her birth family. 

A few weeks ago when reading another DRC family's blog and how their family has received a few referrals that have ended up falling through (not from our agency), I asked God to please bring us a referral soon and that she would be the daughter He has chosen for us.  I even prayed, "God if you could, please give me some sign that lets me know she IS the child you have for our family."  At that point the only sort of sign I could think of was that she would share a birthday with her cousin, Walter.  I joked about it with my sister-in-law, and today on our walk I asked my mom how old she thinks our girl is, "I'm guessing she's the same age as Walter," she replied....

AND THAT IS SO! 

Our baby girl was welcomed into this world on the same exact day as her cousin Walter. 

And so, I will go to bed tonight praying for our baby girl.  Praying that the next steps go smoothly, that she is healthy, well cared for, and that we can be strong during this long wait until she is in our arms.

Tomorrow I'll  write more about the process and what comes next (we're expecting to wait around 6 months until we can travel to get her)....but for now, I'm going (to try to) rest knowing who our baby girl is, where she is, how old she is, and knowing that God will continue to guide us through the journey of adoption (for both this beautiful girl and for our child whom He has planned for us in Ethiopia).

Introducing our baby girl to Eli, Ayla, and Owen

 Celebrating as a family at Applebees (of course, with her photo right by our side)!

My four beautiful children! 

1 Samuel 1:27
For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him.

Good night:)

Love from our family (which is now 6....still waiting on 7) to yours!

What a Glorious Weekend

70 degrees the first part of March for a whole weekend in Dickinson, ND?!?!?!? Too good to sit around!  We took advantage and had a glorious weekend!

On Friday I received the last piece of paperwork we were waiting on for our dossier (Bobby's birth and our marriage certificates from being state certified in MT).  Our dossier would have been 100% done over a month ago but for some reason I thought we had to have our referral to get the dossier certified (being one piece of paperwork has a blank for our child's information).  Last week Wednesday I found out that wasn't true...so I rushed to get the packet completed.  The fedex photo is our completed dossier ready to be shipped to ALBB! 

Friday evening we got home from my aunt Chris' house and decided to to have a slumber party in the basement...I decided to sleep behind everyone on the couch and got one black and blurry pic from my phone;) 

Saturday we woke and decided to clean the yard, take down the Christmas lights (which I must add have been up since TWO falls ago...yes, 2010!), clean the cars, and clean the garage.  While cleaning the garage we found a couple of tables that belong to my aunt Connie (who had borrowed them to us last August for our rummage sale...again, a little behind!) and decided to take them out to her house.  We were pleasantly surprised that they were home along with my cousins Dayna and Delanee and their kiddos...and man did we have a blast!  The kiddos had fun swinging, seeing the horses, and riding their new go-kart.  We hadn't seen them for such a long time that it just felt great being together!

After Connie's house we stopped by our land to start planning where we'll position our house.   I cannot wait to live in the country again...it can't come quick enough!! (I'll post more about our house plans after we get the budget secured this week and are certain we can make it work) Eli loves it out there and headed straight down the hill for some exploring!  The picture of Bobby and Ayla is right where our house will sit;) 

Today we woke early for church (thank goodness I saw someone's post on FB about the time change b/c our calendar has daylight savings down as NEXT weekend)...good thing we weren't late as we were leading our James 1:27 study on Fields of the Fatherless  during sunday school.  It's so fun to hear how God is working in other's lives toward helping the fatherless and I am so thankful for others to lean on for support and encouragement!

After church Ayla and I ran to a swimming birthday party for her friend Mara whom she goes to gymnastics with, then we jumped in the car and headed to Medora.  It was such a peaceful, perfect evening!  The kids love the big playground so we spent most of the time just playing...until Eli and I got an itch to hike up the hill next to the park (next time we're going to the top!). 

We're looking forward to a warm forecast this week and PRAYING for our referral!  I received word on Friday that our agency has a possible referral for us but cannot give us the info until they receive the completed health and family history.  Bobby will be gone on the 17-24 as his dad is having open heart surgery in Salt Lake City.  Please pray with us that we receive our referral THIS WEEK so we can rejoice TOGETHER when we get the news!  Also keep my FIL, Bob, in your prayers:)

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend as much as we did!  Let's give thanks to our creator:)

Love from our family to yours!

Opened Eyes

I'm guessing most of you reading this have watched the video "Kony 2012" that's taken over facebook.  Watching the video I  found myself wiping tears off my face as I was reminded how innocent children are being treated.  I am glad that awareness is being brought to this cruel reality. 

BUT, I am a little upset that it has taken this long to do something for these children...and a little upset that the 2 billion CHRISTIANS of the world aren't doing more. Plus, I'm not 100% sold on the efforts/tactics of Invisible Children...but needless to say I did pass the video on and do suggest that everyone watches it!

I think the movie will help raise awareness across the globe...but, will hearts be changed and challenged to step up and do something for these defenseless children? 
I know a lot of families and churches are stepping up to care for the less fortunate, but many are not.  I don't want to jump on my soap box and pretend like my heart is perfect or even doing everything I can....because I'm not!  BUT, I can tell you (I know I've said this a million times) that our hearts and minds have been opened and changed since we started the adoption process.  My heart has always been with children...and seeing children  hurting completely breaks me (whether they are fatherless, malnourished, war slaves, sex slaves, etc).  

BUT, just having a broken heart is obviously not enough.

When we started our adoption from the DRC I knew that life was tough in the Congo.  I knew of the wars going on, the witch craft, child warfare, etc...but I had NO CLUE how bad it was. Our society doesn't want us to talk about the desperate needs of others because they aren't right here in America (of course I know there are needs here as well).  All people are God' people and all Christians are called to act.  Joseph Kony and the LRA is not an "African problem."  It's a problem of human beings just like you and I.  My eyes were opened when God called us to the beautiful continent of Africa.  I cannot pretend I don't know that which I have seen (or heard).
 
I know there are many that are for Kony 2012 and many who are against.  For or against...I don't think that's the question. The question is what are YOU doing for those who have no hope?  What are you doing now that your eyes have been opened?
I pray that voices will be heard and others will be educated about bigger problems than the US economy.  While many Americans are struggling to make an "American Dream" living, others are facing extreme poverty, child warfare, the sex trade, etc.

Today I'm  also praying for my baby girl who is living in a country torn apart by cruelty.  I pray that she is safe, healthy, and feeling comfort from someone when her mommy can not be there for her!  I also pray for the people around her...that the Congolese people may find hope and love in others...that there will someday not be such a high number of orphaned and hurting children because of people like Joseph Kony. AND I pray for Kony...that God will stop his actions and change his heart.
Love from our family to yours!

Children of Congo: From War to Witches | Watch the Documentary Film Free Online | SnagFilms

This hour long video is a great eye-opener for life in the Congo.

Children of Congo: From War to Witches Watch the Documentary Film Free Online SnagFilms

The Waiting Games

Waiting. 
One of the most common, most dreaded words in adoption. 

Waiting.
A game we will be a part of for the next couple of years.

Waiting.
A word we hope to cross off our DRC journey soon.

For the most part I think I'm quite patient...but I'm going to be honest and tell you that my patience is about to boil over!  I knew this was part of adoption when we started this journey...and when we signed paperwork with AWAA last June, we weren't expecting to get a referral until the fall or winter....so why am I so impatient NOW??!?!

Adoption is filled with unknowns.  The numbers thrown around are to always be taken lightly, and often change.  BUT, it's still not easy to ignore those numbers and not use them to guide your planning;)

This week we found out another family from our agency received a referral of a baby girl....it brought out some uneasy, jealous feelings!  I am thankful that Bobby and I were able to quickly brush it off, knowing our Father has plans for us.  That child obviously was not made for our family and we must trust in His perfect timing and will for us. 
I spoke with our family case worker from ALBB yesterday and she reassured me that they have received paperwork for three baby girls under 12 months (but wouldn't tell me more than that at this time!!).  She explained how they like to thoroughly examine the paperwork and be sure the child is ready for a placement...of course that made my anxiety rise and my heart pop out of my chest!!!!!!

I've read of a few families who have received referrals from the DRC only for that referral to fall through...so my biggest prayer right now is that when we do receive a referral, she will be the child made for us and we won't have to go through the pain of losing a referral. 

So we will keep ourselves busy  as our wait (for DRC) should come to a close soon.  But I would be lying to say I am remaining calm and cool;)  My phone does NOT leave my side and I am much less patient than normal. 

Keeping busy this week:

Playing dress up
(soon Ayla will have another GIRL to play dress up with!)

Playing and snuggling with Walter 

 Eli put together his first model

 Nap time on Friday afternoon...both woke up and wanted some cuddling...
which led to more sleeping on mommy:)

We went to the capital in Bismarck yesterday to get our dossier pages state
certified.  We took the elevator up to the observation deck
(a little depressing how sore my thighs are today after walking DOWN all the stairs!)

Here's to hoping this week is our referral week:) 

 

Love from our family to yours!

We're in Love...WITH WHO!?!??!

Anyone who has spent time with our kiddos lately knows how much they talk about their sister.  They have been talking about their "sister" for over six months now!  It's so engraved in their hearts that we had to buy toothpaste for her, already have her pillow picked out, and already have her seat at the dinner table called for.  Ayla talks about her sister the most...probably because she cannot wait to share her room!!!  She is often asking us questions and will randomly say, "When my sister comes, there won't be more boys anymore." (meaning more boys than girls in our family). 

Eli's heart has been changed through this process.  He has always been our soft hearted child and cares so much about others! At the young age of 5 1/2 his heart is HUGE for orphans!  He talks about his sister too, but even more often talks about orphans and prays for children who are living without a mommy or daddy. 

Last night as the snow was blowing outside, Bobby took time to do some paperwork, the kiddos were busy playing,  and I sat down to read a book on the couch.  Out of nowhere Ayla decided to sing a song for her sister.   Luckily I happened to have my phone on the couch and was able to catch her (and her brothers) in action! 

I CANNOT WAIT until we can have a face and name for our daughter/sister!  Our love for her is sooooo huge, and I know it's only going to grow stronger as we can see her sweet face and meet her!  Please pray with us that we get the call soon....for the past month now I've thought we'd get the call by March 1st....I'm still hoping;) 

Love from our family to yours!

Blogging for Lifesong

I just signed up to be a blogger for Lifesong for Orphans.  I have been touched so many times by their commitment to advocating for orphans and their support toward adoptive families.

Lifesong's mission and method:

Bringing joy and purpose to orphans

We seek to mobilize the church, His body, where each member can
provide a unique and special service: some to adopt, some to care, some to give.

As a Lifesong Blogger I will be occasionally posting messages that come from Lifesong.  The posts will include a note about some of their current projects.  Here is my first post for Lifesong!

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Listen in as Jen Young, Forgotten Advocate, shares the impact one 'journey bag' had on a precious foster care child,

"A caseworker called to say thank you for the journey bags we delivered. She described one story of a child that came into care with a sibling from a horrible situation that involved a death of a parent. Caseworkers tried to keep the two brothers together, but could not, which was very difficult for the boys.  The caseworker said that when she gave them a journey bag, their eyes lit up. She expressed how excited they were to have their own bag and the joy it brought the kids really touched the caseworker as well. 

I couldn't help but tell this caseworker about the 500 bags we received from a church that put each of these bags together.  I told her that while we're glad the bags are appreciated, needed and useful, God cares about this child and took care of the details. His hand was upon this situation and He knew just what this child needed!"

The "Journey Bag Project" is just one way The Forgotten Initiative, partnering with Lifesong for Orphans, seeks to bring joy and purpose to the foster care community. 

To see how you can be involved or to learn more, please visit their website.

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Bobby and I started training for Foster Care last weekend.  It is a commitment of three Saturdays in a row and a small amount of paperwork.  As of now OUR plan is to get trained so we can provide respite care for other foster families and possibly do foster care down the road.....but we'll see what HIS plans are for us;) 

In our small community there are only a handful of foster parents...and 10 children referred for foster care in the LAST MONTH.  There are well over 50 children in foster care in our county.  Not enough families are stepping up to care for these children who need some love and hope in their lives! 

Remember, there is something ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE can do to care for the fatherless in our world. 

Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.  Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

Still waiting on a referral....praying we can see our sweet baby girl's face ANY DAY!!!!!!!!  Be still my heart, for it is getting impatient;)

Love from our family to yours!

Wild Ride

When I took on my new job last fall, the hardest thing (besides leaving my children) was figuring out my schedule.  No matter how hard I tried there was no getting around working Wednesday mornings which had been my weekly Bible Study morning with other women!  It was very hard to give up...

With the birth of my new nephew (of course I have to inlcude a picture as he is one handsome little man and I am quite proud), I decided to take Wednesdays off for the remainder of the school year.  My SIL used to watch the kiddos on Wednesdays and I have so many days/hours built up that it worked out perfectly.  Not only perfectly for she and I...but perfectly to get back into my Bible study;)

Walter Allen Kolar (born Feb 2, 2012 to Cain and Ally)

(Eli said, "I love my baby cousin.  I'm going to be a good example for him.")

Today was my first day back to Wednesday morning study...and I'm still thinking about how the lesson applies to exactly what I've been experiencing and writing about lately.

Beth started the session with asking everyone to think about the year (if it's happened yet) in which your life was changed.  The year in which you found exactly what your purpose here on earth is. 

Oddly enough, I just had this conversation with one of my best friends, Clara, last week!  I was telling her how last February (almost exactly a year ago), when we decided to adopt and our passion toward orphan care started, I knew for the first time in my life that I was doing EXACTLY what God had planned for me and that I felt like I finally understood my purpose. 

Don't get me wrong.  I love children, love teaching, love being a mommy, and love being a wife.  I have always had everything a girl could have wanted and was living the good life.  BUT, even in my perfectly comfortable, good life I always felt like there was just something missing...I felt like there was something more for me that was yet to come.  And then God led Bobby and I onto this road of adoption and ministry in orphan care/awareness.  I am 100% certain that 2011 is the year that changed my life and my purpose was clear.

She ended this session on making this statement:

"I'd rather ride a bucking bronco than sit and live a boring life.  It's only a wild ride if someone else is driving.  I want to live and live a wild ride."

This statement reminded me of my previous post relating to following exactly where God leads you.  I can honesty say my life has never been shook as much as it has since we started truly listening to what God was telling us.  

Our life is crazy.  The ride is wild.  But I woud not change this life for anything! 

We had a discussion with our dossier coordinator from ALBB today.  Not only is our dossier so much easier this time around (less paperwork!!) but it is almost completed as we have so much done already.  The DRC requires that after receiving a referral your dossier must be sent within 30 days (remember for the DRC the dossier is sent AFTER the referral, not before like Ethiopia).  She had to be sure that our dossier is close to being completed before they can give us a referral so this time requirement can be met.  I got off the phone with her at 2:30 and she assured me she would talk to our program coordinator that would start looking for a referral for us.....at 2:45 she called me to ask if we would accept a referral for a 10.5 month baby girl.  WHAT?!?!?!? 

We have decided to not to move forward with this child as we really want a child as young as possible.  Owen is only 20 months and we would like them to be at least a year apart (hoping for around 16-18months apart).  This again broke our hearts.  Bobby's first reaction was, "If we don't move forward with her, will she get matched with a family?"  You see, our hearts brake each time we hear of a waiting child (which is constantly).  We cannot imagine these children growing up without a daddy and mommy.  We want to change the world.  We wish we could take in hundreds of children.  Their pain is our pain. 

BUT, we do know that as long as we jump in the passenger seat....God will lead us exactly where we are meant to be.  He will lead us to the children who belong in our familly and He will help us share our passion with others. 

Please take a moment to pray for the waiting, lonely, fatherless children of the world.  Children who could live down your street, across the nation, or across the world.  For most of them, their only hope is in others who will love them and show them the love of Christ. 

Psalm 68:5-6
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families...

Love from our family to yours!

Your Pain Has Changed Me

It's Sunday afternoon...I should be getting my appetizers ready for our family Super Bowl Party or taking a nap.  But instead, I'm urged to sit down and write the feelings I've experienced this week. 

I just got done rocking Owen...tears flowing freely down my cheeks and rolling onto his forehead.  I'm hurting, aching, and overwhelmed.  I honestly can't find the words to try to express what is going on in my heart right now!  All I do know is God has changed me.  He has shown me some truths that are so hard to see. 

This week I was listening to Pandora when the song "I Saw What I Saw" by Sara Groves came on.  Listening intently, tears started flowing as the song reminded me of this journey we are on.  A journey to not only help fatherless children, but a journey to show others God's love and to move Christians to act as Christ followers.  

Turn the playlist on pause and watch this music video:

Bobby and I have been preparing for our adoptions in so many different ways.  One of those ways is to learn about the countries of Ethiopia and the Congo.  This week we viewed a few youtube videos about the Congo.  (I've linked some of them on our blog page "About the DRC")  One man describes the Congo as "a nightmare in Heaven."  Others refer to it as "hell on earth."  I've heard this before, but watching  the videos, seeing the faces of the lost and hurt makes the reality a little clearer.  

The Congo...a country where the Rwanda genocide has now crossed into their borders...a country who's death toll has surpassed that of the Holocaust...a country with extreme wealth but no government....a country who's people are amongst the poorest in the world...a country where disease and AIDS has decimated their population.
Their pain has changed me.  Their dreams inspire me. I know what I know and I CAN'T erase it.
As I sat in Sunday School this morning listening to talk about prayer, I could not help but think of the African children who are stuck in the middle of crisis, poverty, crime, and brutality.  Children who fall into witchcraft, prostitution, slavery, or war.  Comments were made about how many Africans pray diligently, often as the Father is their only hope.  But here we are a half a world away living in such extreme luxury and comfort and yet we are pulled away from prayer or a relationship with Christ by our the worldy society we live in.

I cannot change what God has called us to do, even if it is overwhelming, trying, and seems impossible at times.  But, I CAN do everything with continual prayer and obedience to Him. 

(I can only imgine what my heart is going to feel once we are able to actually touch African soil!!)

I Th 5:16-18
Be joyful always;
pray continually;
give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Love from our family to yours!

Every Supporting Ligament

If you'd like to take a ride on a true emotional rollercoaster....adopt a child! This process has gone very well for Bobby and I. I would say we both have a strength in realizing when there are things we cannot control and give our concerns to God. But, not only does adoption come with so many uncertainties, it also comes with facing people who are against adoption, against biracial families, or people who just don't understand why.

I try not to let comments get to me, but I will admit there have been times when my heart just sinks and I feel like screaming at the top of my lungs! Whether it's someone simply saying:

"But adoption is soooo much money" or
"You're going to have ANOTHER child?" or
"Gee you really like a busy house, huh?" or
"I don't understand why people adopt but each to their own" or
"I don't think people should adopt unless they have the funds to do so."

and the list goes on.

Not one of these comments makes us ever question what we are doing or why we are doing it. BUT, it still hurts a mother's heart! Even though we have heard each of those above comments, 90% of people we know are extremely supportive and joyful for us. I often let little moments pass by without giving thanks and so I thought I would share some of the sweetest things we have encountered:

• Our parents were all overjoyed when we told them we were going to adopt and have supported us 100% throughout the process
• We have so many people constantly telling us they are praying for our family
• My sister-in-law Ally graciously watches our kiddos for us on Wednesdays while I worked from 8-11....allowing us no child care costs and more money to put toward our adoption.
• My mother watches our children on Tuesdays and Thursdays while I work...again from the kindness of her motherly heart!
• Dear friends Rayma, Maria. and Clara have watched our kiddos for us while we run adoption errands to the post office, doctor appointments, etc.
• At our lasagna dinner one family put a bag full of coins in the collection with a note from a child reading "For you to bring your baby home." PRICELESS
• Our friends Kevin and Mandy told their daughter about our adoption and she is choosing to give her "giving" portion of her allowance to our adoption
• We have been given donations from high school friends, college friends, and a few people we hardly even know
• Our dear friends Brian and Becky supported us and included a note from Becky that read, "We want to be a part of this adoption. Thank you for letting us be a part of changing a child's life."
• Numerous other family and friends have given us donations through attending our dinner, buying a shirt, or just giving to us.
• Friends Bill and Joan gave us a buck (deer) that is helping us feed our family and bringing down our grocery bills for this winter (again, more funds for our adoption!)
• One of my bestest friends Sarah did a fundraising Premier Designs Jewelry show for us and gave 90% of her earnings to us (right around $800!!!!)
• We've made many blogging and adopting family friends that continually give us emotional support
• Even though we are just waiting, we have dozens of friends who continually ask us about the process, how things are going, etc--showing they care!

This list could go on and on...but I can only say we are truly blessed! Yes, we may be the adopting family...but this process goes much futher than us. We alone could not do this---financially, physcially, or emotionally without the support we are provided. Those of you specifically listed or those of you who fit any of the bullets, know that you are needed and cherished! Each of you are helping change the life of TWO beautiful children.

This support and love reminded me of Ephesians 4 when Paul reminds us that God calls us each to do different things but yet we must work together, giving each other support.

Ephesians 4:16
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

We all are not called to adopt, but we can ALL do something to help HIS fatherless children of the world.

Love from our family to yours!

Leap of Faith

You may have noticed the change in our blog header... we have changed the name of our blog to...
Waiting on SEVEN.

Yes, it's true.  We are taking a complete leap of faith and following what God is calling us to do.  We were provisionally approved by AWAA for a concurrent adoption.  In these last few days I have spent numerous hours on the phone and online searching out agencies, timelines, costs, etc.  The way this all came about is just crazy and seems quite spontaneous....but we have no doubts this is right for our family.

(If you haven't read my previous post, you may want to do so before reading this one...may be a little easier to understand)


Many different agencies will tell you that you cannot adopt from the DRC if you have more than 2 children already at home.  When we first started the adoption process we didn't even consider the fact that those types of requirements could be waived in certain cases (and therefore didn't even look at the DRC).  When we decided to go ahead with a concurrent adoption we would have totally overlooked the Congo if it weren't for our social worker, Larissa. 


As soon as we told her we were thinking about a concurrent adoption she was thinking the DRC for our family (her family has recently accepted a referral from the DRC!!).  She did know one of our big concerns was the funding, but being a Godly women, she knew we should not put monetary concerns as our road block. 

Larissa quickly got me in contact with A Love Beyond Borders and from there we were hooked.  As I said in the previous post, we always knew we would SOME DAY adopt two children....just didn't know it would come this quickly.    God obviously had a plan for our family and the children we will welcome into our home!!!!!  How absolutely perfect will it be to have two African children to grow in our home together?!?!??  They will share some cultural background and will have each other to share their life experiences with.

Soooo....we have mailed in our application to A Love Beyond Borders for a baby girl from the DRC!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I still cannot believe it.  We are still unsure how the funding will come together but we are certain this is right.  We are certain this is God's plan for our family. 

A few details into what this is looking like for our family:

1.  ALBB agency does not currently have a wait list for the DRC.  That means we are (as soon as our contract is in their hands) #1 on their baby girl list.
2. They are anticipating (not set in stone but a good guess) that as soon as our paperwork is ready we will get a referral for a baby girl within 1-3 months.
3.  After we accept our referral our dossier will be sent, a court date will be set up, certification and paperwork will be done in the DRC, we wait for the USCIS to give us the okay to bring this child home, and then we travel to pick our baby girl up!  The process from referral to being home will be a 5-6 month time frame.
4. We are currently # 70 on the unofficial wait list through America World for our Ethiopian adoption. 
5. After welcoming home a baby girl from the DRC we will be changing our request for EITHER gender 0-2 from Ethiopia.
6. Nothing is official (as things continue to change with wait times in Ethiopia) but we are expecting a wait time of 1-3 years for a referral from Ethiopia. 
7. We will have at least a year between welcoming our two children home.  If we feel like we need more time, AWAA will allow us to keep our "spot in line" until we are ready to welcome our second child home.

To be honest, I am scared.  I have no hesitancies about welcoming these children into our home.  BUT, the finances are going to be tough.  We are willing to sacrafice so we can help these children.  I cannot even type the numbers we will need for both adoptions...but we are open, willing, and ready to face what is needed to make it work.


PLEASE be praying for our family and for the finances to come together.  I will be posting many updates...posts, timeline, info about the DRC, etc in the next few days!
Our inspiration today:

You are the helper of the fatherless. LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more. 

Psalms 10:14,17-18

On Thursday night after I wrote my last blog post, Bobby and I were sitting on the couch and Eli came up to me out of the blue and said, "Mommy, you should trust Jesus."  He had no clue what we were wrestling with.  I asked why he said that and he responded, "I just wanted you to know that."  I just love when God uses my children to open my eyes.  I pray each day that they continue to live their lives with faith like a child.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love from our family to yours!

Here we go again!

Well, it looks like God may be answering some prayers in a VERY different way than we had expected!  If you read my previous post you know that we have really been praying and hoping to welcome a little one into our family in 2012.  Of course we thought if that were to happen, it would be a child from Ethiopia. 

We signed an application today with America World to pursue a concurrent adoption.  The wait times for Ethiopia have increased in the last few months and it is projected that the wait times will only continue to increase at this time.  Not only do the wait times continue to increase, but we are #70 on the "unofficial" wait list through our agency.  Nothing is confirmed, but Bobby and I feel we are being realistic in thinking/preparing for a MUCH longer wait than we had anticipated (maybe into a couple or a few years).

That realization made us really start questioning what our role is supposed to be NOW in caring for orphans.  Our hearts are 100% open to welcoming a child SOON.  As soon as we decided to adopt we knew we'd either adopt siblings or adopt two children at some point.  We really feel that for two adoptive children to grow up together would be very beneficial for them and their experiences/loss/etc.  BUT we never considered the fact that could mean another adoption BEFORE our Ethiopian adoption.
God quickly showed us that sometimes we just need to ignore the excuses and listen to what He is telling us.  Both Bobby and I feel that we are ready and willing to bring home a child NOW. 


On Tuesday I spoke with our family coordinator from AWAA and our social worker who did our home study.  We were first throwing around the idea of adopting through the foster care system, as that would mean hardly any extra costs.  Larissa (our social worker) informed us that the wait for an infant/toddler through foster care is very long and a rare situation.  She suggested if we were wanting domestic, we look into a domestic infant adoption (which typically means $20-30K). 


Obviously our only hurdle at this point is the funding.  I was up all night asking God, "HOW? There is NO WAY we could afford another adoption right now.  Our hearts are there and we are willing, but it's impossible." I woke up with a reassuring feeling that God has led us down this path.  He equipped us both from a very young age to work with children and be parents.  He has led us into a ministry of caring for orphans and He is using us to bring hope to fatherless children.  The numbers are overwhelming and large, but He is MUCH bigger.  If this is the road He has laid before us we are willing to suffer a little.

Wednesday morning I got a call from Larissa telling us that the adoption agency her family is using for the DRC (Congo) is looking for a family for twin girls.  Unfortunately I was in meetings all day but as soon as I got home I pulled their picture up and almost fell over.  We know now that these girls are not meant to be our daughters, but I cannot explain the feeling that came over me!  I couldn't stop the tears from falling and my heart from racing.  There is just something about those black babies that gets my heart just a pounding!!!  God definitely has given me a heart for Africa and this confirmed those feelings I knew all along. 

 

Though nothing is signed and set in stone, Bobby and I are leaning at a concurrent adoption through the DRC.  The agency we have been talking to for the DRC tells us we would be #1 on their list for a baby girl....and the baby could easily be VERY young.  But, the process through the DRC is quite different than Ethiopia.  We would more than likely receive a referral within 1-2 months after we submit our paperwork.  BUT, for this program we would not travel there for another 5-6 months (AHHH...I can't imagine seeing our baby's face and waiting another 5-6 months to meet her!). 

I wanted to share this info with all of you so you could pray for our family through this tough decision/process!  Pray that we get some guidance in our decisions and that if this is where we are meant to be that we will figure out a financial plan to make an adoption work SO QUICKLY. 

Just as He has rescued us, we are called to stand in the strength of His unconditional love to embrace the homeless children of the world.  He is calling us to redeem lives crushed by the circumstances of their birth.  He is calling us to save them, to lift them out.  And then, like the Father has carried us, we must carry them in love, with the strength of His mercy....and bring them home.
 --Jan Beazely "The Strength of Mercy"

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Prov 3:5-6

Love from our family to YOURS!

Celebrate Good Times

This week began the start of 2012. I have to say, 2011 treated our family well and we are hoping for the same this year. Of course my biggest prayer is to welcome a new member into our family this year....we've been on a roll with our kiddos: 2006, 2008, 2010....and praying for 2012!! 

We celebrated the New Year by having a few friends over on New Year's Eve. We ate some yummy grub, played games, and watched our children interact...all in our 99% FINISHED basement remodel. It is sure wonderful to have the basement done; a place to relax and play!

Ayla, Eli, Baker, and Beau making some NOISE!

The ball drop....okay so it was NYC time, but they didn't know the difference;)

Happy New Year from the Williams clan...

(and the Braatens: Jens, Rayma and Antonio)

I just started a new book and am inspired by this quote as I look into 2012:

"I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do." Corrie Ten Boom

In 2011 we made the best decision of our lives...to start listening when He is speaking.  And by doing so we are now adopting a daughter from Ethiopia and are starting the paperwork for foster care...both things we knew all along we were meant to do and both things that God has prepared us for in our life experiences. 

I cannot wait to see what is in store for our family in 2012 and the years following!

By the way, today marks our TWO MONTHS of waiting for our baby girl (or sibling group)!!!  The road ahead looks long and tiresome, but we will make it through;)

Love from our family to yours!

The ONLY Miracle Maker

Well, the inlaws were unable to come over for Christmas, but we kept very busy with all the family we have in town! 


Christmas Eve was spent opening presents in the morning, out at the farm with the Kolar clan duing the day, and at the candlelight church service and Grandma Gayda's house in the evening.  On Christmas Day we opened more presents (Santa) and went over to my parent's house for our annual prime rib FEAST! 


I don't know why, but I took fewer pictures this year than ever before!  But here are a few highlights:

Eli, Ayla, and Owen on Christmas Eve

This year I started having reservations about the celebration of Santa...why it's done, where our hearts are focused, etc.  At the same time, I truly believe in supporting childrens' imaginations and therefore had a hard time giving it up completely.  Bobby and I agreed we would still get Santa gifts but if our kids ever asked, we would tell them the truth.  For some reason (God's planning???) shortly after our discussion, Eli started asking MANY questions about Santa.  The first question a few weeks before Christmas was, "So mommy, Santa is kind of like a helper to God, right?  He has powers like God?"  I was dumbfounded (why, I don't know) at his logic and was quick to tell him that ONLY God has "magical" powers.  He didn't ask anything more at the time but I could tell the gears were clicking.  Then the questions started coming....why all the santas around the world look different (on tv, in malls, etc), why some kids don't get gifts, how does Santa deliver all the gifts if he can't do magic, etc.  And then one morning while my SIL, Ally, was watching the kids they decided to write letters to Santa.  Here is Eli's letter:

You can tell the gears were clicking this entire time.  We were trying to get around the questions without answering them, and of course sticking to our promise of no lying!  Then came Christmas night.  After two long days of celebrating (celebrating Christ's birth, that is--not Santa) while being put to bed Eli probes some more, "Daddy, tell me the truth.  Is Santa real."  For some reason I walked into Eli's room right at this moment and Bobby and I were able to have an open discussion with Eli about the TRUTH.  He took our answers very seriously and well.  It is obvious that he knew this entire Christmas season that Santa wasn't real.  Maybe it was because we never say the typical parenting remarks, "you better be good or Santa won't come" or didn't focus this season on getting more more more. 

To be honest, I was a little saddened that this "dream" has ended in his heart...but all along it was in God's timing.  This was the first year ever that Bobby and I questioned celebrating Santa and we were easily reminded how far off our society is in keeping Christ the center of Christmas. 

We will still do stockings and "pretend" that Santa leaves gifts....but our children will know the truth about the one and only miracle maker!  Still not sure how this will work out (Ayla was not a part of the conversation and Eli hasn't said anything to her---which we didn't even bring up).  You'll have to stay tuned for next year's CHRISTmas season to find out what happens with our Santa saga;) 

I hope your Christmas was a wonderful celebration filled with lots of love, laughter, and happiness!

P.S. In Ethiopia gift giving is a very small part of Christmas celebration. Children usually receive very simple presents such as clothing and Santa is not celebrated (*wink*)