So many people are asking us about our baby so here is the short version. After extensive research and asking the LORD to direct us, He led us to a domestic cross cultural adoption. We are working with an attorney and will be matched with a birth Mom. We will be able to follow the end of the pregnancy and be at the hospital when she is born. We have requested a baby girl because we have two boys and one girl. Caris wants a sister and a room mate so bad. All our kids are so excited about adopting Kalea. Even Elijah who is four is learning what adoption means and he is excited that he will be a big brother. She will be an American citizen but of Pacific Island decent. So, we dont know anything about her yet or the birth Mom or when we can expect her. We are on a list to be matched when a birth Mom expecting a baby girl comes available. That's where we are in the process
We are very excited that we have finally started the home study process. Wow that is more involved than I imagined. Again, God has led us to a Christian professional who will conduct the study. God keeps showing up in every step of this process and I want Him in every detail.
I began that job this week and it is going great. I'm really thankful that not only will this help with the financial part of this adoption, but I have a chance to work with local orphans. What a ministry this will be. My schedule has worked out so that I will work half days and my kids do not have to change any part of their schedules. I think it will be great.
The most exciting thing that has happened today is that some really good friends of ours went to court today. They learned that parental rights have been terminated on their foster child. They fostered him with the hopes of adopting him. We, along with many of our friends have prayed for them to be a forever family and it looks like the beginning of next year, they will be able to adopt him. Praise be to our GOD! This is wonderful news that so many of us are so thankful for. What a wonderful end to a difficult few months of uncertainty. God is so good. I also learned some other adoptive parents that we know gained custody of their twins today in a foreign country. It has been a day of good news! Two families we know are experienceing the miracle of adoption. It's so amazing. I am praying specifically for some other families that are praying and in the process of adopting. I get so excited when I hear good news from them. Praying God will give them a child soon.
The last thing I will post tonight is that I am looking forward to spending Saturday afternoon with my family at the Pumpkin Patch. We celebrated my Dad's last birthday there in 2010. It has become a tradition for my family to go to the Pumpkin Patch the weekend before Halloween. While all of this excitement of our adoption makes me miss my Daddy (just because I sooooo wish he was here to experience this joy with us) I know the joy he experiences every moment in Heaven does not compare to anything we can imgine here on earth. I am sooo very thankful for the hope of Heaven and for the Grace and Mercy that our LORD and savior Jesus shows us, to forgive our sin and take us to Heaven to be with Him when we leave this earth. There is no greater reason to celebrate than that. Thank you Jesus!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
God's perfect plan
Trying to figure out God's perfect plan for our life is always difficult. That is because we want to see the plan laid out before us so we know what is going on. However, God tells us to follow Him and trust Him. As we walk along this journey and follow and trust, He reveals a little along the way. He confirms that we are on the path He has for us so that we are encouraged to keep going.
Early in this process, when I was prayng seriously about adoption, God taught me this during a Sunday School lesson. I was teaching on Joshua 3. Joshua was leading the children of Isreal after Moses had died. God told Joshua to instruct the people to follow the Ark of the covenant and to stay behind it a certain distance. As they followed it through the Jordan river, the waters parted and the Isrealites crossed on dry land. (Sound like another similiar story?) I felt the LORD impress on my heart "Follow me on this journey of adoption". While I was teaching a group of ladies, God taught me. There are already so many moments where God has confirmed to me that this is His plan for us. However, sometimes when God speaks, I don't recognize His voice. Then later I realize that the LORD had been trying to tell me something, but I missed it. Some of the moments I have experienced are private and cannot be shared on this blog. However, most are things I can share and over time will try to recall all the things God is doing in our lives to confirm that He has called us to adopt.
Just this week, I have a lead on temporary part time social work job. It's not definite yet, but I'm pretty certain that at the end of this month I will be working as a social worker,(as is my degree) with foster children. I have prayed that if God wanted me to work to help fund this adoption, that He would give me the perfect job that would fit our family schedule. On Sunday, a friend mentioned that at the boys home where she works, there were two social workers going on maternity leave in the next few months. Joel told her to keep me in mind. The next day she called and said the director wanted to talk with me about when I could work. It helps that I have worked there before as a fill in SW for another SW on maternity leave and the director knows Joel and I well. It sounds like it will be a wonderful opportunity. They also provide on site childcare for their employees and the teacher goes to our church, so Elijah (my 4 year old) already knows her! This seems obvious that the LORD has given me this job.
A word about fundraising. I've had 3 ladies from church already ask if they could help us with fundraising. I so appreciate their offer to help us. At this time, we are not planning to do much fund raising. We are designing our adoption Tshirts now and those will be available for purchase if anyone wants to help support us financially. We don't want to focus on money, but we do want to share how God provides each step of this journey.
There is much to do between now and the time Kalea is born and in our arms. I am so excited to know that God is working for our good and has a plan for us. I'm excited to watch and see how His plan unfolds. I'm excited to imagine our life with our new daughter.
Early in this process, when I was prayng seriously about adoption, God taught me this during a Sunday School lesson. I was teaching on Joshua 3. Joshua was leading the children of Isreal after Moses had died. God told Joshua to instruct the people to follow the Ark of the covenant and to stay behind it a certain distance. As they followed it through the Jordan river, the waters parted and the Isrealites crossed on dry land. (Sound like another similiar story?) I felt the LORD impress on my heart "Follow me on this journey of adoption". While I was teaching a group of ladies, God taught me. There are already so many moments where God has confirmed to me that this is His plan for us. However, sometimes when God speaks, I don't recognize His voice. Then later I realize that the LORD had been trying to tell me something, but I missed it. Some of the moments I have experienced are private and cannot be shared on this blog. However, most are things I can share and over time will try to recall all the things God is doing in our lives to confirm that He has called us to adopt.
Just this week, I have a lead on temporary part time social work job. It's not definite yet, but I'm pretty certain that at the end of this month I will be working as a social worker,(as is my degree) with foster children. I have prayed that if God wanted me to work to help fund this adoption, that He would give me the perfect job that would fit our family schedule. On Sunday, a friend mentioned that at the boys home where she works, there were two social workers going on maternity leave in the next few months. Joel told her to keep me in mind. The next day she called and said the director wanted to talk with me about when I could work. It helps that I have worked there before as a fill in SW for another SW on maternity leave and the director knows Joel and I well. It sounds like it will be a wonderful opportunity. They also provide on site childcare for their employees and the teacher goes to our church, so Elijah (my 4 year old) already knows her! This seems obvious that the LORD has given me this job.
A word about fundraising. I've had 3 ladies from church already ask if they could help us with fundraising. I so appreciate their offer to help us. At this time, we are not planning to do much fund raising. We are designing our adoption Tshirts now and those will be available for purchase if anyone wants to help support us financially. We don't want to focus on money, but we do want to share how God provides each step of this journey.
There is much to do between now and the time Kalea is born and in our arms. I am so excited to know that God is working for our good and has a plan for us. I'm excited to watch and see how His plan unfolds. I'm excited to imagine our life with our new daughter.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Up and running
Looks like we are up and running! Considering my poor computer skills and the age of my computer, I am happy our blog is set up. It is still under construction so please excuse the simplicity and lack of photos for now. I'm still learning how to customize everything. I've wanted to start a blog before but wasn't really sure if I had anything to write that others would be interested in reading. I have a reason to blog now. In September we officially began the adoption process. I want to share everything the LORD teaches us through this journey. So many other adoption blogs were so important to me when I was praying about adoption but still not sure if God was calling our family to adopt. My prayer is that through our journey, others will be encouraged to adopt orphans all over the globe, overseas and here at home. My journey began long before we started the adoption process. I can't wait to share it with you, little by little. For now, I have a 3 year old who needs apple juice and some encouragement to eat his lunch. I can't wait to share with you all the LORD has done and will do in our lives. Until next time, please pray for us as we strive to follow God's plan for our family as we journey to Kalea. (That's our daughters name. It's Hawaiian and means "beautiful".) :)
Thanks be to our God
I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the journey I am on. My family is following God's call on our lives to adopt. We are adopting because God adopted us as HIS children when we did nothing to deserve it. It was by His grace that he adopted us and gave us all the benefits of His love. We are so blessed by God already with a beautiful family but believe the Five Freds are not complete yet. God is leading us to our baby girl. Please pray for us as we follow Him on the journey to our daughter.
My husband, Joel, is a pastor of a wonderful church. I am a pastor's wife and stay at home Mom to Isaiah who is 13, Caris who is 11 and Elijah who is 3. I have been praying about adoption for along time but have really focused on the idea for the last 6 months. My husband has wanted to adopt for a few years but I was unsure if it was God's plan for us. I surprised Joel on a Sunday afternoon in August when I told him through tears that I thought God wanted us to adopt. He thought it would never happen but was very excited that I was ready. As we researched and prayed over the next few weeks, the LORD led us to pursue a cross cultural domestic adoption. We are very excited about the path the LORD has put us on. Our children were all very excited when we told them we were planning to adopt a baby girl. They had said months before that they wanted another sibling. I'm thankful they are as excited as we are. My husband has a saying at church "God gets the glory and we get the joy". That is what we pray will happen during our adoption journey. To God be the glory!
My husband, Joel, is a pastor of a wonderful church. I am a pastor's wife and stay at home Mom to Isaiah who is 13, Caris who is 11 and Elijah who is 3. I have been praying about adoption for along time but have really focused on the idea for the last 6 months. My husband has wanted to adopt for a few years but I was unsure if it was God's plan for us. I surprised Joel on a Sunday afternoon in August when I told him through tears that I thought God wanted us to adopt. He thought it would never happen but was very excited that I was ready. As we researched and prayed over the next few weeks, the LORD led us to pursue a cross cultural domestic adoption. We are very excited about the path the LORD has put us on. Our children were all very excited when we told them we were planning to adopt a baby girl. They had said months before that they wanted another sibling. I'm thankful they are as excited as we are. My husband has a saying at church "God gets the glory and we get the joy". That is what we pray will happen during our adoption journey. To God be the glory!
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