Waiting, Waiting, Waiting.

Our adoption puzzle finally arrived today! I'm really excited about this fundraiser because we will be able to write the names of each person who sponsors a puzzle piece on the back of the puzzle. I think it will be a tangible piece that the boys will get to look at as they grow older and see the names of all the people who helped them get to us. If you would like your name on a puzzle piece you can donate to our paypal account. Please include what name you would like on the puzzle piece. 

Our pastor got us the book, "Adopted for Life" by Russell D. Moore. I've only got to read bits and pieces of it because Justin has been immersed in it. It's a great read and I urge you to read this if you are considering adoption. A friend at work got me the book, "Orphan Justice" by Johnny Carr. I'm only past chapter 3 but so far it's been great. It's a real eye opener to adoption and human trafficking. Whether you are or are not considering adoption, this is a great read for anyone. It beckons our call to do something, just as Christ has commanded us to do.

                                  

We finally received new pictures of the boys this month!!! I, of course, can't post them, but I'll give you a little sneak peak. 

Canaan is on the left and Neema (the younger one) is on the right. They are looking at the photo books we sent them! I'm sure they have no clue what's going on, but one day they will know.

Neema has grown so much since the referral picture we received. It was great to see he has gained weight! We also got height, weight, and shoe sizes for both of them! 

We mailed our i600 about a week ago. This was a huge step in our journey. This is where the waiting process really begins. As I have told many of you the United States has made changes to the investigation process before they will issue the children their visas. This is a great change toward more ethical adoptions, but it also set our adoption (as well as everyone else's adopting from DRC) 3-6 months longer. After our i600 is processed and the investigation is over we will travel to DR Congo! We are asking you to specifically pray that the investigation process will be a quick one, but even if it's not we trust that God's will is being carried out and His glory is continuing to be made known through this waiting!

Thank you for your prayers for these boys and for us. There are many, many changes coming our way and I will post more about those on another day! God is good and He has been overly gracious to Justin and I. 

A Heavy Heart

I have yet another sinus infection, so I'm missing out on worship with our church family this morning. It  leaves me a lot of time to sit and think about the information I received yesterday. 

This weekend our adoption consultant and 2 other wonderful ladies arrived in DRC to take supplies and love on some sweet children there. I'm in a private Facebook group where all the adoptive moms (and dads) stay connected and the adoption coordinators send us updates. Yesterday they went to some of the orphanages and posted the pictures on the private page. What I knew to be true suddenly became more of a reality to me. In this poverty and war-stricken land, little children sit and wait for someone to come for them. My heart literally hurt as I read the updates from these ladies. At one orphanage they went to they saw younger children being fed while older children sat and watched because there wasn't enough food for them. They gave the younger children the food first because they can't survive as well without food. She posted pictures of blankets on concrete floors, wooden bed frames (without mattress or sheets), and dirty floors. This was where they laid their heads at night. Many of them do not have beds at all. I kept scrolling through the photos and came across 2 very small, frail frames that were twin girls. They were laying on a blanket placed on a concrete floor. They are 8 months old but look more like newborns because of the malnutrition. I just began to sob. They don't know if these little girls will make it or not. They are very sick and their bodies are incredibly thin. My heart hurts so bad for these children. Many of them don't have clean water, more than 1 set of clothes, or even a blanket to lay their bodies on at night. 

Here is a picture that I have been given permission to share. These are the kids eating at the orphanage. What you can't see are the older ones in the back who who are watching the younger ones eat while they can't. Thankfully, our adoption consultant gave the orphanage some money to buy the older ones food as well.

I'm convinced....adopting 2 little boys is not enough. I MUST DO MORE. The truth has now become a living reality to me as I have come face to face with the pictures of these people living thousands of miles away. I was overwhelmed with emotion as I looked through the pictures and read about the conditions of the orphanages. All I could do was sob. I felt so helpless. Why don't more people adopt!? Why don't more people want to give money to help these people?? This is where I'm flooded with emotions. I'm extremely saddened at the helpless state that these children live in and completely mad that more people don't do something to help! I'm angry that parents spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on toys that their children will just put in their "playroom" and never play with again while children in other parts of the world are dying because there isn't enough food for them to eat. It's not fair. In the midst of my emotional meltdown Justin reminded me that our world is in this state as a result of sin and no matter what I try to do I can't fix it all. It's out of my control. Thank you Mr. Voice of Reason. Justin always seems to have something to say when I'm ready to combat the entire world. At the end of the day I'm glad he's there to keep me under control. I know if he wasn't I would have probably said more things to people that I shouldn't, sold all of our stuff and moved to the DR Congo.

He's right. I can't fix the entire world. 147 million orphans is out of my control. But I can save 2. You can save 2. I wish I were allowed to post the pictures of these children and the devastating reality of where they live. I'm not so sure they really care about having toys or more than 1 set of clothes. They just want to be loved and cared for. Please pray about how you can get involved. Maybe it's not in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Maybe it's in Ethiopia, or China, or here. There are needs to be met and we turn a blind eye to them everyday. I can't do it any longer. I can't act like I don't know. It would be a sin to do so. 

Have you thought about adoption? I know what you're thinking. Yes, I know it's expensive. By all means, I KNOW IT'S EXPENSIVE. You can't use that as an excuse. God WILL provide a way. He always does if it's part of His Plan. He isn't limited by the those things. I think about how much I've cried over these children and how much I hurt for them. God loves them so much more than I ever will or could. I wonder what He feels like. His love and tears run much deeper than mine ever could. He aches more than I ache. He longs for them to be cared for more than I long for them to be cared for. And guess what? He calls us, his church to do the caring for. We are plan A in His redemptive plan. He commands us to care for the orphans and widows and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves (James 1:27 and Proverbs 31:8-9). So what are we going to do? Continue to be comfortable or choose to make a change? I just pray that God will keep them alive and healthy until someone can come to them. Please, someone come to them.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Proverbs 31:8 There is a new documentary out called "Stuck." I urge you to watch the trailer and then the movie. See how you, yes, just one person, can make difference in the life of an orphan. -Alana