Several months ago God gave both Adam and I a song that has continued to strengthen and encourage us during the early stages of this adoption. I have listened to this song so many times that I know it by heart, but that hasn't stopped the Lord from revealing something new to me, through this song, when I need it most.
The recent fighting between Russia and Georgia has caused us a little bit of stress and last night I even lost a bit of sleep over it. Perhaps I lost sleep because I was up way too late reading news headlines, prophecy updates and transcripts from the Glenn Beck show. I am sure you are probably thinking, wow...weird! However, they all bring to light a very good point and that is the significance of Russia invading Georgia. While I am truly concerned for the citizens of Georgia, I must admit that my motives for my concern over this invasion are much more selfish than that.
So there I was last night tossing and turning and wondering how this will affect our adoption, when I finally prayed that God would give me peace. After all, there was not much I could do about it at 1:00 a.m. This morning, before the rest of my family was awake, I quietly played our "adoption" song and really listened to the words. The song is called I'll Lead You Home, by Michael W. Smith.
I know it can be hard to get the full effect from just reading these words. As with great moments in life, things seem so much better when put to music. I will make an attempt anyway. Here is what I heard;
Let it go and turn it over to
The One who chose to give His life for you
Leave it to Me
I'll lead you home
This was my much needed encouragement today! Regardless of what is happening around the world, God, the maker of heaven and earth, is still in control, and I need to give it over to him. If He is calling us to adopt our daughter from Russia, then by all means, He will provide a way for us to go to Russia.
How is that for lovingly saying "stop it!"
Please pray that things will go quickly and smoothly for us. With tensions growing in that whole area of the world, we would like to get in and out of Russia as soon as possible.
It seems like that title should be our motto for this adoption so far. We go a week or two without hearing much and then suddenly we need to sign another form right away before more papers get sent off! With that being said, at least our papers have been sent off. That, it seems, is a step in the right direction.
We have spoken with our caseworker several times this week and are excited to let you all know that our homestudy report has been sent to WACAP! WACAP (our international agency) will review the report and make sure all required information is present and accurate. Once reviewed and approved, we start our international paperwork. This includes prefiling our I-600A form with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and completing all of our dossier paperwork. The I600A form is used to help prospective adoptive parents complete portions of required visa information for an adopted child before that child has been identified for the family. This begins the process of classifying an orphan in a foreign country as an immediate relative of the adoptive family, thus allowing the adopted child entry into the United States.
We are excited to have taken the next step, and begin our work with WACAP. We are expecting (as many people have warned us) that there will be a lot of waiting for papers to be processed and authenticated. So until we are completely done, I suppose we will just continue to hurry up and wait!
We have spoken with our caseworker several times this week and are excited to let you all know that our homestudy report has been sent to WACAP! WACAP (our international agency) will review the report and make sure all required information is present and accurate. Once reviewed and approved, we start our international paperwork. This includes prefiling our I-600A form with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and completing all of our dossier paperwork. The I600A form is used to help prospective adoptive parents complete portions of required visa information for an adopted child before that child has been identified for the family. This begins the process of classifying an orphan in a foreign country as an immediate relative of the adoptive family, thus allowing the adopted child entry into the United States.
We are excited to have taken the next step, and begin our work with WACAP. We are expecting (as many people have warned us) that there will be a lot of waiting for papers to be processed and authenticated. So until we are completely done, I suppose we will just continue to hurry up and wait!
Recently we received a letter from WACAP (our international adoption agency) stating that fees will be going up. If we aren't finished with our homestudy by September 1st, we will have to pay the higher fees.
This letter got me thinking about why God has clearly directed us to the Russian adoption program, which at the moment, has some of the highest adoption fees. When all is said and done, the total cost should be somewhere between $40,000 - $45,000. Now, I am not saying this so that those of you who read this blog will cut us a check. I am saying this because God's answer to my question of why Russia?, was "so you (and everyone who joins with you) can see Me work." What a testimony that will be because He is going to have a lot of work to do!
This reminds me of a passage that our pastor spoke about on Sunday, Acts 16:16-40. In this passage, Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison, having been accused of causing an uproar and advocating unlawful practices according to Roman customs. What is curious about this is that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, making it unlawful for them to be beaten without a trial. However, Paul never spoke up about his citizenship before or during his beating, but instead remained quiet. That night, when Paul and Silas were in prison, there was an earthquake so strong that the prison was shaken, the doors of the jail came open and everyone's shackles came loose. When the jailer (who was commanded to guard them carefully) awoke and saw the prison doors open, he prepared to kill himself because he thought they had all escaped. When Paul told him that they were still there, the jailer fell on his knees and asked how he could be saved. That same night, the jailer and his family were baptized.
Our pastor told us this story and how he found himself wondering why Paul didn't reveal his citizenship and spare himself the beating. God's response to our pastor was "I wanted the jailer." If Paul spoke up about his citizenship, the jailer never would have been able to see God work.
God knew that in order to gain the attention of the jailer, Paul and Silas would have to be beaten and jailed and then an earthquake would have to literally shake them free, only to be found by the jailer, still in their jail cell. I find it amazing to see God's love for us in the way he pursues each of us, just as he did with the jailer.
I can see myself as both Paul and the jailer during this adoption. I am Paul, because I am having to lay down my fears of adoption costs and the emotional health of our daughter and put my trust in God. I am the jailer because God has been pursuing me and revealing himself to me in ways I never would have seen, and He does it in His perfect timing.
Thanks for joining us in our journey!
This letter got me thinking about why God has clearly directed us to the Russian adoption program, which at the moment, has some of the highest adoption fees. When all is said and done, the total cost should be somewhere between $40,000 - $45,000. Now, I am not saying this so that those of you who read this blog will cut us a check. I am saying this because God's answer to my question of why Russia?, was "so you (and everyone who joins with you) can see Me work." What a testimony that will be because He is going to have a lot of work to do!
This reminds me of a passage that our pastor spoke about on Sunday, Acts 16:16-40. In this passage, Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison, having been accused of causing an uproar and advocating unlawful practices according to Roman customs. What is curious about this is that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, making it unlawful for them to be beaten without a trial. However, Paul never spoke up about his citizenship before or during his beating, but instead remained quiet. That night, when Paul and Silas were in prison, there was an earthquake so strong that the prison was shaken, the doors of the jail came open and everyone's shackles came loose. When the jailer (who was commanded to guard them carefully) awoke and saw the prison doors open, he prepared to kill himself because he thought they had all escaped. When Paul told him that they were still there, the jailer fell on his knees and asked how he could be saved. That same night, the jailer and his family were baptized.
Our pastor told us this story and how he found himself wondering why Paul didn't reveal his citizenship and spare himself the beating. God's response to our pastor was "I wanted the jailer." If Paul spoke up about his citizenship, the jailer never would have been able to see God work.
God knew that in order to gain the attention of the jailer, Paul and Silas would have to be beaten and jailed and then an earthquake would have to literally shake them free, only to be found by the jailer, still in their jail cell. I find it amazing to see God's love for us in the way he pursues each of us, just as he did with the jailer.
I can see myself as both Paul and the jailer during this adoption. I am Paul, because I am having to lay down my fears of adoption costs and the emotional health of our daughter and put my trust in God. I am the jailer because God has been pursuing me and revealing himself to me in ways I never would have seen, and He does it in His perfect timing.
Thanks for joining us in our journey!
Isaiah 8
Caleb 6
Naomi 2
