Confusion

We got some not so great news via email today: the DRC has decided to continue its suspension of exit visas until they create and vote into law new adoption requirements. They are looking at this possibly happening in July. 

I wish that I was lying.

Many of you may not be religiously following the adoption drama in the DRC like we do. What this means is the 300 + children that have been adopted by US families since last September and are unable to leave the country will be stuck there until at least July. I can't even imagine how hard this is for those families and their little ones. 

What this means for our family is that we need to start praying hard about whether or not we are to continue pursuing an adoption from the DRC or if God has something else for us. As difficult as this is for us, we need to be open to a change if that is what God would have us do. 

Please join us in praying for wisdom in our decision as to what country God has called us to. We are confused and pleading with God to show us a glimpse of his plan, and feel overwhelmed with all that is transpiring.

Yard Sale

We have our first major fundraiser coming up in 2 weeks. Ryan and I have been running all over town picking up donations from people who have selflessly decided to give us their stuff to sell. 

What's been really weird about all of the donation collecting, is that half of the people who have donated stuff are complete strangers. I'm serious. People that live around the corner and that I have never met in my life have given us a ton of stuff. What's been even better is the fact that we've gotten to share God's passion for orphans and the fatherless with each of these people. 

God doesn't make mistakes when it comes to who our neighbors are. He doesn't make mistakes when He tells your family to adopt a kid on the other side of the world when they have practically nothing to give but their love. He chose us to go get Levi. He chose  specific people to donate items and hear our story. 

There are no accidents.

What's in a Name?

Let me start by saying that we never meant to be that family that gives all their kids names that start with the same letter. To be honest, I always thought that was kinda weird.... 

We chose the name Layla for our first adopted daughter because it means "dark beauty." Her birthmother loved the name and added Marie as he middle name to honor her own mother. 

We were a bit stumped with our second little surprise. We fell in love with the name London, for no particular reason other than it was beautiful. Ryan had always had a longing in his heart for a biological child, so we thought it appropriate to give her the name Ryan as a middle name.

We suddenly became the family with two kids with names that started with an L.  Two isn't enough to really put you in that parenting category, but three is.

A couple of months ago, David Sons was preaching about being a people who is generous and who know that God has provided them with everything. He spoke of the Levites, the tribe that owned no land, but who were given the job of working in God's temple. 

God was their only inheritance.

This struck me hard; not just as an incredible lesson for myself, but as a prayer for my son. A boy who has most likely known more hurt, fear, hunger, and heartache than we could ever imagine. A boy who owns nothing and has nothing. A boy who will give up all he does know to join our family half way across the globe. 

God is and will be his inheritance. 

And his name will be Levi.

We Aren't Good People

I'm going to be honest in this post. Adoption is incredibly difficult, but probably not for the reasons that you're thinking. Yes, we need to raise a ton of money. Yes, we will be traveling half way around the world to go to our little guy. No, those aren't the reasons that this adoption is hard. 

Making the decision to adopt is so very different than making the decision to try and become pregnant or to have a baby biologically. Once you get pregnant, you typically don't have the choice to just stop being pregnant. When you make the decision to adopt, you always have a terrible voice in the depths of your mind that loves to remind you that you can quit anytime on the journey to finalization. When times get tough, that voice gets a whole lot louder. 

As adoptive parents who are on the journey, we need people checking in on us and reminding us that God gave us a command and that He will help us complete it. We need friends and leaders and family to push us forward. 

We don't need people telling us what a great thing we are doing. Many days we struggle to even stay the course and not throw in the towel. We aren't doing a good thing because we are good people. We're just saying yes to God, day after day and pleading that He'd lighten the load and give us courage to take another tiny step.

So, if you're reading this, and you think we chose this path and we've got it all together; we didn't and we don't. God chose it for us, and we need your encouragement to keep saying yes everyday.