Our Journey

So here we go....honestly I have retyped this so many times I can't even count.  I have no idea how to begin this post; so I guess I will dive right in.

For the past few months we have been learning what it is like to "be still" and listen.  "Wait patiently for Him."   And although patience is not one of my strong points, I have learned that it is in these quiet times when you actually have an open heart to all the "ways that He changes us". 

For a few months now, our family has been learning about what it is like to be a child with "special needs" in another country (not that their plight is often much better her in our own country, no thanks to abortion).  And when I say "special needs" this can vary greatly from Cerebral Palsy or Hydrocephalus to Down Syndrome or Blindness.  In many countries if a child is born with needs they are immediately abandoned...left at the hospital and sent to an orphanage.  I am not going to speculate why this is done, because each child has been left for a different reason (some people are afraid to parent a child with needs, some are too poor, some are just following society...etc.)  These children become an orphan even though their parents are very much alive.  And if no one comes for them, they are later sent to a mental institution to live out the remainder of their life.  I don't know about you, but I really had no idea children were treated this way just because they were viewed as "imperfect".  But a really great organization called Reece's Rainbow enlightened me.  They advocate and fund raise for children who can't do so for themselves.  They have helped over 700 children find homes; homes where they are loved in spite of their needs. Now when you think in terms of 147,000,000 orphans, maybe that doesn't seem like a whole lot; but I am pretty sure it made a difference to each and every one of these kids. And it is this organization that God used to show us the way He wanted us to go next....

So our family has decided to make a difference in the life of one of these children.  And although we would love to show everyone HER picture and give you all the details, we have been asked to keep her information private for now.  We can tell you the little girl we hope to adopt is about 20 months old, she has Down Syndrome, and we are planning on naming her Olivia. This is a very long, exhausting process filled with paperwork, appointments, and of course, $$$.  We are very excited to be about a quarter of the way through the process and we would like you to join us for the rest of our journey.  We hope you will root for us along the way and pray for us.