Saying Yes To Adoption

Preliminary Court Date (Still waiting on Ours)

2012-01-26T12:45:00.000-05:00

We found out today that our preliminary court date was this week, which means that our file IS at court and we could expect to go to Ethiopia within 2-8 weeks for our court date! This is a huge relief for many reasons, but I will just say that we ARE moving forward, and one of the potential roadblocks has been lifted. I can't really go into more details than that but I am praising God for this good news and so glad that the Lord is faithful in the details!

This week I had to deal with a hard choice: to trust God in the uncertainties and possibilities of if we would lose our referral for "B"- and I am glad to be on the other side of it BEFORE God gave us this good news today. Lord-willing, "B" will be our Israel and we are going to have him home one day. Hopefully very soon we will meet this boy who has completely stolen our hearts!

Sorry if this post is confusing but I don't want to share more of our son's story than necessary. Remember that this blog is a documentation of the process for our son!

OH BABY Giveaway Winner!

2012-01-25T15:27:00.000-05:00

Thanks for entering the giveaway - I love doing this and may do another one soon! :)

I did the entries on paper since the people who bought stuff got 5 entries!

The winner was Hannah Edwards!

Hannah bought something SUPER cute from our Tukula products and so I hope she's enjoying it already!

Thanks again for following our blog and for being such prayer warriors for our son!

Fingerprints Again!

2012-01-23T17:12:00.000-05:00

Today we went to Birmingham to redo our US CIS Immigration Clearance fingerprints. These allow us to bring a child in-country! Like last time we did these (November 2010!), the process didn't take long. It was about 15 minutes total, and a very entertaining 15 minutes at that! Our worker had a great time teasing me about my weird thumbs and teasing Will about a few things :)

So glad that we will NOT have to renew anything else for this adoption! Since these fingerprints last 18 months we should be fine! Doing things for the second time (homestudy, USCIS fingerprints) are not as fun as the first time, trust me!

It is nice checking another thing off the paperwork list! Hopefully we'll get our updated FDL in the mail very soon to have on-hand for travel purposes.

PS Don't forget to enter our "OH Baby!" Giveaway!

Testimony of God's Faithfulness

2012-01-21T09:34:00.000-05:00

1. Thursday night I had another meltdown where I ached to meet my baby. Some friends of mine were en route to Ethiopia to meet their children and I wanted to be on that trip with them. I always thought I would travel with my friend Erica, so I was very disappointed that we weren't going together. I felt like my repetitive prayers were not doing anything and that God must have forgotten us. This is so stupid, yall, because this adoption is not possible without God! He has finely orchestrated every single detail. He created adoption in the first place. He is working when we can't see Him.

He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 1: 8-9

2. Friday morning I woke up to three pictures and a PRECIOUS video of my son. What a blessing and timely received gift after my heartache Thursday night! God hears and answers! Things I love about the pictures/ video: his skin is getting darker, his hair is so long and curly (the hair on the sides of his head is coming in, so the mowhawk is growing out - bummer!), he makes an adorable cooing sound on the video! I love his voice! We've watched the video probably 100+ times and then Erica sent us ANOTHER video this morning! What a friend!

Showing off his long hair!

3. I've already made one trip to the post office to send off some of the super-cute Tukula products I'm selling! I can't thank my friend Leigh enough for being not only a huge support for me in this adoption (and a great friend in general) but also for helping me in so many ways with fund raising for our son. She is amazing and I could not imagine this journey without her!

4. Last night/ this morning I woke up around 3:30 and didn't go back to sleep. I woke up from a vivid dream about Ethiopia and couldn't get my son off my heart. I went downstairs and had a much needed time of prayer and Bible reading where the Lord confirmed His faithfulness to his purpose- not just our adoption but for the gospel to be made known in all seasons and circumstances. I am such a poor vessel, but I pray that people would see the gospel through my weak testimony.

Oh, that I could mean this from my whole heart when I pray about the "thorn" of waiting for our son to come home:

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

I know I have asked for this many times, but please, friends, pray for us! Pray for my heart during this process. Pray for God's glory to be made known even when I am weak. I feel like this is my theme verse right now:

"Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in your to will and to act according to his good purpose." Philippians 2:12-13

Thank you for walking through this with us, and praise God for being faithful when I am not.

OH BABY Giveaway!

2012-01-19T15:46:00.001-05:00

I am in the cleaning & purging stage as we get ready for our yard sale... which gives me a GREAT reason to do a GIVEAWAY! Also, I am so GIDDY to announce that we are now selling TUKULA products! Check out the top right tab "Cute Stuff for Sale" and consider buying one of these amazing bags!

For this giveaway, you could receive 1 Blue/Green Owl, 1 Green/Yellow Flag Burp Cloth and 1 Blue/Yellow Duckie Burp Cloth!

Even if you aren't in need of something gender-neutral and for a baby, surely you know SOMEONE who could use a baby gift! And this baby gift could be yours FREE!

Here is how you can enter the giveaway:

1. Tweet, Facebook, or Blog about this entry (1 entry per social media outlet- leave a comment telling me what you did!)
2. Buy something from our etsy shop or purchase one of the amazing Tukula products we are now selling- Look at the top right tab for "Cute Stuff For Sale!)! (5 points per purchase!)
3. Become a follower of this blog or if you are already "following" this blog using the "follow" tool on the right! (1 point). Comment saying that you are a follower!

All of your entries will be tallied and I will draw a winner next Wednesday, January 25th at Noon EST!

Third Time's The Charm

2012-01-14T19:52:00.000-05:00

Many of you remember back in 2010 (it seems so long ago!) we did two yard sales in Scottsboro and Raleigh...

Well now that we are in a new town and have a son who is worth the hassle of scrounging our pennies for....

We're having a yard sale in Jacksonville AL!!!!

Date: TBA hopefully February or March!

So if you don't mind, could you clean out a closet or two and give us your treasures to sell? (You know, one man's trash is another person's treasure!)

We still haven't heard back from our grant application and we're hoping to get the funds in order to be able to pay for BOTH trips to Ethiopia for our son!

And if you're also a fund raising family looking to do a yard sale this spring, check out our yard sale tips!

Perfectly Apportioned Grace

2012-01-13T14:06:00.000-05:00

This week has continued without court news.

After sending a frantic email asking why every other family has a court date but us, our precious case manager sent me a lengthy email encouraging me in the wait. I'll spare you from copying & pasting the whole thing, but here is part of it:

This season of your adoption journey is not just important for court or legal reasons, but also because as you move through each step and milestone- the piles of legal documentation, waiting for court dates, and navigating through the embassy process, the Lord is working on you. He is molding and shaping you into the parents He already knows you are by testing and refining your patience, trust in Him, perseverance, and adaptability. The adoption process in its entirety is tough—there are delays, setbacks, fluctuating time frames, expiration dates, process changes, new requirements that seem to come out of nowhere… We have these ideas—perfect pictures—of everything just falling into place perfectly, but the reality is, there is no such process, and sometimes, although we fight it with the super strength of a parent - it’s important to experience these difficult situations. They prepare you for the days ahead of frantic packing, red eye flights on zero hours of sleep, legal proceedings, and the most difficult experience yet- saying goodbye to your son between trips. While you have a few precious and emotionally restorative photos of your child, it is so very difficult to wait at this stage. And… even though you don’t yet know the feel of his touch, or the sound of his cry, this child is yours already.

In addition to this email, I have been awakened to the thought that it's not a matter of "IF" our son will come home but "WHEN" he will come home! And IF we "lose" our son's referral due to different circumstances, God will sustain us then, and we will move forward in this call to adoption, no matter how difficult or lengthy the process is.

There is not only a REASON for this wait period, but I have been given the exact amount of grace needed to survive it.

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. Ephesians 4:7

God is sustaining me each day, even in the times that I don't know if I can handle this wait any longer. God has ordained this moment and season with perfectly apportioned grace.

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5

Three Months Old!

2012-01-12T11:35:00.000-05:00

Dear Israel,

Happy Three Months baby boy!! Israel, you have NO IDEA how loved you are sweet son. I am overwhelmed by all of the people who are praying for you! It is so encouraging as your mama to hear other people praying for you to come home to us. We are praying so many things for you, baby. We are praying that the Lord would protect you from illness and that the Lord would already be softening your heart to Him so that you will know Him. We are praying for your birth family and for the Lord to be gracious to them. We're praying for your little heart as you deal with the many transitions to come. We are praying for all of the details of your homecoming to come together (quickly!) so that we can kiss you every minute of the day! You look incredibly kissable!

We have been busy getting your nursery together, and your closet is becoming fuller with lots of plaid shirts like Daddy wears! Your daddy and I go in your room every day to imagine what it will look like when you're there. We are sure that it won't stay neat and tidy when you are there- and we are okay with that! In addition to your nursery, we are setting up the rest of the house for you to come home- the kitchen has your baby cups and bowls and even a high chair! Although right now I can't imagine ever wanting to set you down because I want to hold you so much!

This month we finally saw a picture of you smiling, and darling, you have us wrapped around your sweet fingers. Your hair continues to grow longer and crazier, and we know the other kids at Hannah's Hope must be jealous!

For your three month birthday we are going to start packing our bags with donations for Hannah's Hope, the amazing transition home you are in. Lots of people have given formula to take and we are so ready to bring it there in person!

We love you Israel. We miss you and ache for you. We can't wait to see that gummy smile in person and to rock you to sleep every night in the glider your Aunt Rachel gave us! (I have caught your daddy using it already and he says he is practicing reading to you!) We're coming, son!

Love,
Mom

Thank You and Announcement

2012-01-09T12:03:00.000-05:00

First, I want to say thank you for your kind comments and emails encouraging me in the wait. Still no court date here, but definitely feeling refreshed by the word of God and the reminder of His faithfulness. I also appreciate the grace given to me from some dear friends at a bachelorette weekend who took the time from celebrating the bride to weep with me in the wait. I tell you, this is a humbling and refining process!

The announcement is... my etsy shop is back (for now!). I will be honest, I haven't loved etsy so far, but since I have no craft fairs on the horizon, I am going to try to sell some stuff on there in hopes to get that last $5K that we need for Israel's adoption. If you don't mind, could you pass along my etsy link? Either on facebook or blogs? I want to thank my bff Leigh for making those beautiful wreaths that you see there! She worked hard to make wreaths when she was bringing home her son, and generously sent us those wreaths to sell for our son. In addition to etsy, we have applied for a grant and hope to hear soon from that as well. We're also contemplating another yard sale, and the idea of an online auction is still lingering. For now, let's get this etsy stuff sold! :)

Other exciting news is that we are having a baby shower! Our friends in North Carolina threw us a shower before we moved, and now our new church family is hosting one in a few weeks. I can't tell you how much it means to have people support us and get excited with us about Israel.

Waiting for a Court Date

2012-01-06T11:41:00.000-05:00

This week my husband and I took 30 college students to the Passion Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Among many things discussed was the injustice of slavery that is rampant in the world right now (27 million slaves - the highest # of slaves in history). As we were learning about the different trafficking and slave issues, both of us were just aching at the thought that orphans are highly susceptible to trafficking and slavery. Who will fight for them? Who will search for them and bring them home?

So we listened and prayed, and we are ACHING for news to bring our son home. Heart-wrenching aching, I tell you. I hear news of other December referral families getting court dates for January, and my thoughts go from hopeful to jealous.

It is so frustrating, because if I were to classify this last year (well let's even go back farther to the beginning of our adoption 22 months ago)... my life has been classified in "waiting for _____". Fill in the blank: paperwork, waitlist numbers, job interviews, moving to AL, referral, now court date. We've been waiting on SOMETHING forever. And let's be honest, we will ALWAYS be waiting on something until Christ returns and redeems his bride.

Submission is not easy for me. It is hard for me to submit to Christ and to my husband. It is hard for me to trust that other people are doing things right or putting our adoption as a priority. And you know what? That is sin. That is not right, and I can't justify my impatience or selfishness out of "a mother's heart" or "my personality is that way"- not being submissive is sin.

It's okay to long for a court date. It's not okay to be angry in the process or forget God's faithfulness in His timing.

So pray for me and my heart. Thanks.

Israel's First Christmas

2011-12-28T09:59:00.001-05:00

Although our son was not with us this Christmas, he was constantly on our minds all day (what's new?). For Christmas this year we gave Israel three gifts to "unwrap."

First, he got three Debby Anderson books! I'd heard these were highly recommended and I echo other recommendations! These books are very full of scripture and have children from many countries represented! I found these at a Lifeway store on clearance for $3 each but they would be worth full price too!

Second, Will found an Auburn University themed car mat for his room! We LOVE this and have been coveting it since our trip to Auburn in September! I can't wait for Israel to play on it!

Third, Will made him a book (he wrote and did the art!). It is very special and I love how creative my husband is!

His loot!

Our sweet boy was also spoiled by his grandparents and great-grandparents! I feel much more prepared for this little cutie every day! Speaking of cute, we got a new picture of him this week and he is SMILING!!! Don't worry, the picture is already printed for our brag books and framed in the kitchen. We can't get enough of him! This morning Will came in our room and said "Uh oh, it happened. He got cuter overnight!" We are completely smitten!

And I might as well post our awesome ornaments that are on our tree this year for the first time!

Thanks Cara Jane & Chris!

His sweet face on our tree is my favorite! (It has been edited so you can't see it- sorry friends! Trust me he's cute!)

I hope you all had a merry Christmas too! Now our New Year's wish: bring Israel HOME!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T11:08:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas from the McGees!

This year we are so thankful for the journey that 2011 brought us. It brought LOTS of changes (new job, new town, new church, new BABY on the way!). It was definitely a tough year at times and we saw how much we needed God's grace to get through it!

And although we don't have our son home yet, we know our prayers from last Christmas were heard. God faithfully led us to the son that is meant to be a McGee. We can't wait to meet our Israel and we are thankful to God for demonstrating adoption first-hand in sending Jesus to earth so that we could become sons of God through Christ's redemption.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel has come to thee O Israel!

A Sweet Gift (and prayer request)

2011-12-21T10:01:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we got a very special gift in the mail from our agency:

No, that is not Israel on the cover of our travel packet- that is a really cute girl who is home now!

Included was a birth announcement (his name has been blurred for legal reasons).

I just cried when I saw that. I can't wait to send out adoption announcements when he is home forever!

In other news, we applied for a grant yesterday, and hope to apply for a few more this week. Please pray for that if you can, that we would be accepted into at least one grant program so it can fund the rest of our process (travel costs could range from $5-10,000).

Thank you prayer warriors! Please continue praying that we get a miraculously speedy court date! Although Hannah's Hope is a great place, it's not a mom and dad caring for him. We want our son home.

"Next Steps" Call

2011-12-19T08:35:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday night, we had a call with our case manager to talk about what the next leg of our adoption journey will look like. She went over the details of the first trip, second trip, and the requirements of Ethiopian Court/ US Embassy that could possibly slow us down in between.

Adoption is truly a miracle, you guys. There are so many hoops to jump through and random pieces of paperwork/ people that have to be involved in bringing every single child home. The reason it takes so long is that there is a lot of details to be taken care of in an ethical adoption! I would much rather it take a bit longer and have peace of mind that our son is legally and rightfully ours, though. I'm so thankful for our agency's sound reputation!

For now, we are waiting on a birth certificate for our son to be created (which may take up to 6 weeks) and our dossier + Israel's paperwork to be merged and translated, then ALL of that submitted to Ethiopian court, where we will land on a stack of other family's paperwork and eventually get a court date.

We have NO idea when we will travel, and although we can make guesses, it really doesn't help with planning at all because there is absolutely no way to know until it is official. Our guesses were initially that we would travel on our first trip in January or February, but our case manager suggested March for our first trip (she was also just guessing). So we will see. I've been stalking other adoptive family's timelines and trying to guess according to their stories, but honestly the Ethiopian program has changed so much over the last year that you really cannot compare two families at all. Our case manager estimated that Israel would be home in 5-8 months from referral (so late spring/summer??) I haven't really seen that long of a process except in rare cases with AGCI families, the trend I've seen is about 4-6 months. Again, there is no way to know until its official. There can be MANY roadblocks and fire-y hoops ahead for us.

So, will you be our prayer warriors? Will you join with us in praying for a speedy court date, a quick process, and for things to be in order for our son to come home? He is so small right now, and I hate thinking about the time that is ticking away while he is in Ethiopia away from us. We miss him! I know that sounds silly because we haven't met him, but our hearts just ache for this sweet boy with crazy hair and big brown eyes that has our hearts wrapped around his tiny brown fingers. We can't wait for him to be with us forever.

And beyond our specific prayer requests regarding timelines, please join us in praying for God's glory to be given through this process, as we have much waiting ahead. We don't want to portray God's blessing and grace in a negative light- we want to praise Him even in the hard wait.

Thanks again for walking beside us, and for praying for us as we move forward.

Two Months Old!

2011-12-12T17:08:00.000-05:00

Dear Israel,

Today you are two months old! We heard very sad news today that you are not feeling well. Oh, son, we long to have you home so we can snuggle you when you don't feel very good. We are praying for you all the time and throughout the day your dad and I call each other just to talk about how cute you are. All day we wonder what you are doing, and imagining you as you discover more about yourself and your environment. You look so quiet and thoughtful in your pictures. And you hair! Oh, you have some styling hair right now. Your dad hopes we can keep the mohawk that you are rocking right now.

Son, we are praying for you non stop. Today we are celebrating that you are two months old and that God has gracefully allowed us to pray for you during this time. It is a privilege to look at your pictures and know that God is working on our behalf to have you home.

This weekend we bought you a LOT of clothes in preparation for next summer and fall. Every outfit we imagined your cute little arms and legs inside. Your dad bought a baseball outfit for you to wear to a Braves game next season. He's already making plans to take you to lots of fun places!

Tonight, to celebrate your two month birthday, we're having some international students over. We love having people from different cultures and backgrounds in our home- and we look forward to incorporating what we learn about Ethiopia here, too! We love you sweet boy. We can't stop praying for you and asking for God's hand of protection over you. We hope you feel better soon, little man. Your mom and dad can't wait to take care of you.

Love,
Mom

Family Education Coordinator Call / A Brief Insight into Cocooning

2011-12-11T21:51:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday, Will and I had a phone conference with our Family Education Coordinator, "E" (Not to be confused with B, our first case manager, or T, our current case manager)! It was really fun talking with her about what the coming months (especially after bringing Israel home). We talked a lot about our transition plan (a document we completed and sent in with our referral paperwork that discusses what resources are around here, plus our "plan" for transitioning Israel to our home/family).

We discussed that Israel is going to have been through some extreme losses when he comes to us, and talked a little bit about how that grief can manifest itself (sleeping a lot, disconnecting from us). You see, Israel already lost his birthmother (whom he connected with in the womb), then was moved to Hannah's Hope, where he will be accustomed to a routine and special mothers. Then, he will be taken from his country, the language, the skin color of his caregivers, the noises of lots of kids, the smells, etc... and he won't understand what parents are. By the time he comes home, he's been through some great losses, and so we have to learn how to help him process that grief and love him through it.

In addition to that, she gave us some great insight into "cocooning" - a term that many of you know if you're deep in the adoption community. Cocooning is a time period after you bring home your child in which you focus on bonding/attachment with your child. This means very minimal amounts of leaving our home, not passing around Israel (even for family members), not going to church (well, me & Israel) for a few weeks, wearing him in the Ergo 6-8 hours a day, avoiding over-stimulation, him sleeping in our room in the pack & play, bottle feeding, not letting him feed himself, rocking him to sleep (even though he won't be used to that), etc. Also, Will & I are going to be the only ones to feed him and change his diapers, aka meet his needs in any way for a long time (no babysitters). We want him to learn that we are his primary caregivers and we are not going anywhere. He's used to self soothing and being passed around. We need to teach him what a mom and dad is- that we will meet his needs and love him.

Now I know sometimes it can seem really extreme but it isn't forever. There are some things we may stick to the books about and some things that we are more flexible on, it all depends on how Israel accommodates and what his needs are. If we start to be more flexible around 3 months and realize that he's not ready to meet a lot of strangers or go to the store, we'll figure out how to meet his needs. Where this will get difficult is that Will is on staff with a large church, and I'm sure there are some well-intentioned people who won't be able to resist loving on him. He's adorable, remember? I think one of my biggest fears when looking ahead at cocooning is that people will get their feelings hurt in the process, because I will be so private with him and won't be so willing for people to just drop by or hold him. The way we parent him will look a lot different from other families at first. I know that in the grand scheme, Israel is my priority and I need to get over people-pleasing and trust that what time we invest into attachment with him in the beginning will pay off!

"E" gave us a lot of good advice on the first few months and answered a lot of questions that we had. It is great to have these conversations now, and to hear some of the tips we've heard along the way reiterated.

So as we look ahead to the time after Israel is home, I would appreciate: (1. Your grace in us being so private/going through cocooning (2. Prayers for Israel as he goes through some deep losses (3. Support as we cocoon and focus our energy on our son so he will bond with us.

So...veteran adoptive parents, chime in! What are your tips on cocooning? Sound off in the comment section so that I (and other adoptive parents/ support system friends) can hear what worked for you and what was good for friends to know. What advice would you give to friends of adoptive parents who cocoon?

Moving Along...

2011-12-07T09:40:00.001-05:00

This weekend was a whirlwind of fun/craziness/paperwork/picture staring/excitement. I think it was a blessing to have the weekend to sit and just soak in our news before we had to tackle the paperwork. Little Israel has managed to appear in every major room in our house, so I don't know what is going to happen when we have more than 9 pictures! Also, I want to say that I'm not sure HOW you are supposed to get anything done when there is a cute boy to look at!

On Monday we drove to Birmingham to have our social worker sign off on our referral, and then had a phone consultation with Dr. Douglass of Cabarrus Pediatrics in Charlotte (I HIGHLY recommend him! He was only $175 for the consultation and was very, very impressive! He has reviewed referral paperwork for 8 years and is also an adoptive father!).

After getting those objects tackled, notarizing a LOT of paperwork, and finishing our transition plan, we sent our paperwork and a check for our referral fees/ care of our baby in the orphanage fees to AGCI on Monday afternoon! It felt like a huge weight being lifted off of me to have it out of our hands and en route to our agency.

Tuesday we heard from our case manager that she received our paperwork and that she was letting the staff in Ethiopia know that they can match our dossier with Israel's paperwork and submit it to COURT! So now our paperwork is headed into a stack of files representing adoptive families. We're so glad to be in that stack! And glad that Israel will not be an orphan anymore!

Tomorrow (Thursday) we have a call with the Family Education Coordinator and next Wednesday is our official "Next Steps" phone call!

Today I was thinking about how last week I went about every activity with the thought of "when is it (the call) going to happen?" at the back of my mind. I'm so glad to be in the next stage, preparing to bring sweet Israel home.

And His Name Is....

2011-12-05T06:08:00.002-05:00

While I can't share his given name (what he is currently called and what we will use as his middle name) I'm very proud to share our son's new first name!

We have been very secretive about our name options thus far because:
1. we didn't want input
2. I hate name claiming
3. we couldn't really decide between a few of them, so we didn't want to say it was one thing and then change our minds
4. we wanted to avoid having too many monogrammed items.

So, with that said, you have been very patient in waiting to hear the name we have chosen!

Our son will be Israel McGee!

Israel, as in God's adopted, chosen people in the Old Testament. Israel, who made mistakes and often forgot of God's faithfulness YET God remained faithful to them. The name Israel represents more than just that we chose our son, but the fact that we have a constant unchanging love that is not contingent on how our son behaves or responds to us, but based on the love that the Father gives us. We're not naive to think that our son may never reject or rebel against us, but in those days we will remain faithful as God has to us.

"O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption." Psalm 130:7

The Day We Became Parents

2011-12-04T05:56:00.002-05:00

I've read many posts about "the call" and dreamed about how ours would be written- where we would be, if I would cry when we got the news, if my heart would immediately melt when we saw our baby's face... so here it is, the story of the day we had a face and name for the baby we've loved for so long.

Thursday night was probably the breaking point of the wait so far. Honestly, the last few months have been PAINFUL but Thursday night I just didn't hold anything back and just cried for a long time. Will was absolutely precious and stayed up with me to comfort me and remind me of God's faithfulness in the evening moments when I felt like my prayers were not being heard. I was so exhausted from praying the same prayers and petitioning the Lord to complete the good work He had begun. Friday morning we were still tired from a long night and I fought tears. I said to Will that I didn't think I could make it another day without knowing who our baby was. I ached for him so badly and just wanted to know him.

For Pastor Appreciation, our church gave us a night's stay at the Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham, along with a gift card to Shula's restaurant. We already arranged to spend our evening there and were going to dinner with two other staff couples. We left around 2 for Birmingham, and I was fighting a bad attitude because I was just so bummed that yet another week was passing with no news.

On the way to Birmingham I recall pleading silently with the Lord "there is still time! You can do this, Lord!" Will was doing his best to encourage and uplift me, being the charming best friend that he is. We were singing along to the radio when suddenly my phone said "Call from 971-..." and I froze. 971 was the AGCI area code!!!!

I looked at Will and we were both freaking out. I answered the phone and T, our new case manager, answered, saying that she wanted to check in with us since we were now her clients. She answered a question I'd asked about updating our FDL and then said she wanted to give us a "pre-referral call." Huh?? I'd never heard this term before and she clarified that she had a little boy she wanted to talk to us about. We needed to be near a computer to look over some documents to continue with the phone call.

We were about 20 minutes away from our hotel, so we had to get off the phone and call her back when we got there. Before we left she told us his birthday, 10-12-11. The next 20 minutes were a mixture of agony over traffic and sheer joy from the prospect of having a son!

When we got set up in our hotel room we called T back and she went over the legal and medical paperwork on our son. I can't share his given name with you online but we plan to keep it as his middle name. We heard all the details they had and before we even saw his face we were over the moon for him.

Then, our case manager sent us a WONDERFUL email with 9 precious pictures. He is ADORABLE!!! He has big brown eyes, a dimple on his chin, long dark hair and the prettiest skin coloring. We're smitten.

After finishing our call with T, we began the adventure of contacting our International Pediatrician and sending off the paperwork to get his approval. Will & I looked at the pictures of our son probably a hundred times in the next hour, and we made phone calls to our family.

We also got ready for our already-planned dinner date with our friends/ fellow staff. While I was primping, Will went out and got me a flower "from our son" :)

Flower from our son to me!

In the hotel elevator on the way to dinner- we're so excited that we have a big secret to reveal at dinner!

It was so fun sharing pictures with our new friends and celebrating the milestone together.

After dinner, we changed clothes and headed to the mall (which was connected to the hotel) on a quest to find SOMETHING for baby McGee. After searching several stores we settled on a little summery outfit and pajamas. We expect that our baby will come home when he is 6-9 months and since we're in Alabama now, we'll be stocking up on warm weather clothes now! :)

We went to bed and stared at the pictures of our son all night. Even though we had a late check out in our hotel, we woke up at 7 am anxious to look at the pictures again and head home to share the news with our friends.

We spent Saturday on the phone sharing the news about our sweet boy. He is precious and I'm a proud mama. When I went to CVS to get my printed pictures I told everyone near the checkout that this was MY SON! I can't believe I can say that now! My son!

And might I brag a bit on the Lord?

I will say that this last few months have been really hard, and I have definitely been through the sanctification process during the hard waiting season. I won't say that "it all disappears when you see his face" because I think that those hard months made it worth it to see him. I could also see that some of those days when I ached and pleaded for news of my son, he wasn't even born yet! He was born on October 12, and we became next in line for an infant boy on August 27th. The Lord ordains it all to be, folks. I'd also like to say that I know that there was and is a purpose to the hard times...the times when we can't see what the Lord is doing and why we're waiting. We won't always get those answers here on earth, but we can trust that our hearts will never be fully satisfied here until Jesus comes back to redeem earth once and for all. I'm thankful that the Lord is patient and that my righteousness does not depend on my patience or faith but that Jesus's death on the cross and resurrection are the sole reason that I am now a part of God's family. That is a reason to bless God- that even in the hard times I can trust in God's redemption.

And can I also say that the Lord was absolutely gracious to give us a referral when I didn't think I could handle it anymore, but that His goodness was not dependent on if we did get it then, or if my mind actually exploded from impatience. :)

Also, it was purely the Lord's blessing for Will and I to not only be together during the call, but to be en route to a nice weekend away where we could celebrate our news with new friends, and also have a special memory of the call. I'll never look the Bham Winfrey the same. ;)

After over seventeen months of being on the waitlist, we finally got the call we'd been dreaming about. We have a handsome tiny boy who already has our hearts wrapped around his CUTE little fingers.

If you are around I'd love to show you his face- it is so sweet and you'll love him too, I know it!

We have a son!

2011-12-03T12:23:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I am finally writing this!!!

More to come, but for now I want to share that we got the call Friday afternoon that we have a precious 8 week old son born October 12, 2011!

We are absolutely in love with him! We're busy working through paperwork now, but I will share "the call" story when I get a chance! Thank you so, so, so much for walking beside us in this!

I promise you he's the cutest thing ever, and we'll gladly show you pictures in person! Ahhh the Lord is so faithful, so good to us and we are praising God from whom all blessings flow.

Rejoicing Alongside a Friend

2011-11-29T08:43:00.002-05:00

Today my friend MacKenzie got the wonderful news that she and her husband will be headed to Ethiopia this weekend to pick up their ADORABLE twin baby boys. To say I'm excited is an understatement! If you've walked beside someone in the adoption process, I think you can relate when you say that you are just as excited for these friends as you are for yourself when you imagine it all playing out. (MacKenzie and I "met" online back in May 2010, when we were both working on our dossiers. We were both newlyweds adopting our first children, and we have pretty similar senses of humor :) We got on the waitlist 2 weeks apart from each other, and she has been a huge support for me in our adoption. I can't imagine this process without this friend!)

I remember when Heather, Julie, Leigh (and now MacKenzie) all got their referrals, court dates, final travel plans, etc. Having friends who have made the full-circle of adoption is just truly amazing and I can't help but tear up at the beautiful gospel picture of adoption.

These parents have paid the ransom for these children, gone to extreme lengths to make them orphans no longer. They have made emotional and financial sacrifices (all worth it!) to bring a child who had no hope (outside of adoption- statistics in Ethiopia show that un-adopted orphans have very slim chances of life or well-being) into a family. Even greater than adoptive parents' sacrifices, God gave his only son Jesus to pay OUR ransom. We are sinners who deserve to live life apart from a holy God. Yet, while we were sinners, Christ died for us and those who simply believe in Jesus can have eternal life with Christ. We who had no hope now have hope because God paid our ransom and brought us into his family.

What a blessing and privilege to be able to see this true story played out again and again through adoption on this earth. I'm so thankful for the obedience and perseverance of my friends who have let me see into their adoption stories.

Official November Numbers

2011-11-23T08:50:00.001-05:00

We got the email that we were again #2 boy, #8 girl.

Despite this bummer of an update, we're not completely bummed because we know our time IS coming. We know there are new babies (some of them are reportedly "very tiny"!) at the transition home that our baby will come from.

One reason for this slowdown and lack of movement is that there have been several unique situations in the past few months in which a family has lost their referral, thus putting them back on the waitlist in front of us. This is why we have been #2, then #1 (unofficially), then #2 again several times. This happened to our friends, the Forrests, after they had been on the waitlist at #1 for 8 weeks- they got bumped to #2 and she later told me that she was so thankful for that family in front of them who got back on the list- because that meant that she was matched with her Judah. If they hadn't been on the list, she would have gotten their boy, and little Judah is perfect for her family.

So although the timing is frustrating, and the slowness is really, really, really hard some days... I know that the timing will be absolutely perfect and we're going to be matched with the child God has in mind for me & Will.

This Thanksgiving we aren't celebrating the news of a specific child that we know by name and face, but we are celebrating that God has brought us through--- and is continuing to bring us through, one of the toughest and most refining journeys of our life so far. The last few months have been hard, and God is still shaping and molding us to be the stewards of the gospel that He created us for... and we know that we will be better missionaries, parents, spouses, etc because we learned that God is faithful in the easy times and the hard times. I have to reevaluate daily: does my heart ache more for a phone call or for the gospel to be made known to the people I am in contact with each day? Do I long to hear from God more than from my case manager? Can I glorify God even when I don't see what He's doing?

I'll end this with a few quotes from one of my new favorite books, Overcoming Fear, Worry and Anxiety by Elyse Fitzpatrick:

"Rather than spending my days pursuing my own desires and worrying about my future, I need to be actively focusing my energies on God's kingdom and His righteousness." (p115)

"When God permits difficulties in our lives, it isn't because He hates us or is unable to stop bad things from happening. It's because He's interested in building our faith, changing our character, bringing us more joy, and freeing us from our fears." (p133)

"He's working to free you from your worries- not by giving you freedom from trouble, but by arranging circumstances so that as you go through them you'll experience the truth that He is everything He says He is." (p136)

Happy Thanksgiving! We have much to be thankful for.

Want to give me a hoo hoo hoooome?

2011-11-22T15:39:00.003-05:00

Okay ladies (and gentlemen??) here is the deal: I'm going to post some pictures of what owls/wreaths I have. Let me know in the comments if you want one in particular, and I'll write "sold" next to it.

I'm going to let YOU choose how much you want to pay for them, but charge $5 for each shipping for the owl, and $10 to ship the wreath (if you are local- or live near our parents: don't worry about shipping). Whatever you want to pay above that is awesome... (I charged 1 for $12 or 2 for $20 for the owls at the craft shows, but pay what you can/want).

~~Chi-O Owl (red /yellow), Green & purple dot owl with purple eyes/wings~~, ~~Green & Orange Owl~~ ( all three SOLD!)

Blue & Green Owls (2 of each)- Specify blue dots or green swirls (have matching wings/eyes).

~~Christmas Owls- Red & Lime green, or Red stripe/dark green~~ SOLD!

Wreath #1

Wreath #2

Wreath #3

Wreath #4

Wreath #5


Wreath #6

So, go ahead and comment if you want one. You can pay via paypal (on right side of blog) or check. If you live near one of our parents and would like to purchase one, we can work out a delivery!

Thank you for supporting us!

Fall Craft Fairs!

2011-11-22T06:33:00.001-05:00

One of the methods the Lord has financially blessed during our adoption process has been craft sales. Last year I did a small craft fair, and this fall I have done two larger-scale fairs. It was easier to do them back-to-back (October 1 and November 19) so I knew what to expect and how to prepare.

Oxford Fest was an outdoor fair. I shared this tent with my neighbor and her daughters (her stuff is on the left), and my mom came and helped me! It was really fun and really busy! I sold owls, burp cloths, coasters and bows.

The C.E. Hanna fair I had a much smaller booth, and it was inside. This time it was just me and Will, and I sold burp cloths, owls, coasters, and wreaths (made by Leigh!).

Overall, we raised about $600 between the two fairs! It was a LOT of work, but we are pleased! I still have some owls, burp cloths, coasters and wreaths left... so I may sell those on the blog, perhaps? I'm kind of "over" etsy at this point. So we'll see. The Lord has been so faithful to provide for us in this adoption, and I'm thankful to have a little crafting to contribute to our savings!

Rumor Has It...

2011-11-21T12:27:00.000-05:00

Rumors are going around that there are some new kiddos at the transition home that our baby will come from!!!!!! It is "very full" and one of our friends who was there at the beginning of November noted that it was NOT full then... so that means lots of referrals are coming with the new babies!!

Other good news is that families are PASSING court when they go! This is a huge milestone, showing that all the paperwork that is needed to be there, is there! Yay for positive forward movement on lots of kids - getting them out of orphanages and into homes with moms and dads.

So I'm not holding my breath for a referral this week, but hoping to hear news very soon!!

Silly Husband

2011-11-14T11:42:00.000-05:00

Conversation last night:

Will: "I hope Tori calls us tomorrow."
Bekah: "Who's Tori?"
Will: "Isn't that our new case manager?" (we just got switched from B to T)
Bekah: "That's not her name!"
Will: "Well this whole time I've been imagining Tori from Saved by the Bell... leather jacket and everything."

Well at this point we'd take a phone call from a Tori, if it meant that it was "the call!"

No news here, but maybe soon?

Collection

2011-11-03T13:00:00.000-04:00

So we all know that I'm busy collecting formula, right? Well can I brag about a purchase I just made?? I just got SIX ready-made Similac Soy formula bottles for THIRTY CENTS at Walgreens! As in thirty pennies/ three dimes/six nickels or 5 cents each!!!! Thank you Jenny for your formula coupons!

So here is my current formula collection:

All sorted according to expiration date!

It makes me SO SO SO HAPPY to see all of this laid out. I also have lots of diapers, wipes, and baby wash in my closet that will one day head overseas to Ethiopia. As you can see, I sorted the formula today according to expiration date (that's what the different rows are) and I'm going to send the most-approaching expiration dates' formula to some soon-traveling families this week. What a joy it is to be a part of this! It blesses me so much to have friends who have sent formula, formula checks, or coupons. I think I talked to everyone in Walgreens today about our adoption and how my 5 cent formula was going to babies in Hannah's Hope.

God is Not Holding Back

2011-11-02T14:32:00.000-04:00

I'll be transparent here, there was a time a few weeks ago where I was in a cloud of darkness, just letting my flesh be overtaken with doubt about God's goodness. I was like, alright Lord, YOU are the one who put the desire for adoption in our hearts. You said in scripture that we should care for the orphan. You have provided the way for us so far, making it clear for us that this is the path that we are to be on. So what's up? Why are you holding out on us? Why are you keeping us from being parents? We're ready, Lord! If you are going to put this desire in our hearts, then why make us wait so long?

And thankfully, I had some dear friends show me that my heart was in a wrong place, and I needed to root myself in scriptures. (De ja vu? Is this the same lesson I'm learning all the time?)

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Psalm 84:11

So I need to change my prayers- focusing a little bit more on the praising, a bit less on the petitioning, amen? At some point the persistent widow needs to be thankful for what she has. I will praise God for giving me the love for our baby already. I will praise Him for providing a tangible way to be a part of restoring one orphan to a family. I will praise God for giving us the means to adopt and the community that encourages us. I will praise God for being God, and that my circumstances should not affect what amount of praise He deserves. He is not holding back good things from me at all, in fact He is pouring his goodness and mercy on me in new and overflowing ways every single day!

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

......And in an unrelated note, if you are someone who is in our circle- as in we talk, see each other, communicate in some way regularly (or not regularly), do you mind doing me a favor? Will you take 5 minutes and read this blog post:
http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2011/11/02/how-to-be-the-village
............And in another unrelated note, I want to give a "shout out" to my friends who have been so good to me lately. Thanks to those of you who have made me realize what a beautiful community that I have and how God has indeed blessed me with some women who speak truth into my life and care about our baby. Thanks for the care packages, stuff to take to Hannah's Hope, the cards and hugs. I feel loved, and you have been used by God to show me how much He loves me.

October Official Numbers

2011-11-01T06:22:00.000-04:00

I've been a bit lazy in posting these numbers because I'm really not that concerned with the numbers anymore! After waiting at #1 for an infant boy for 5-6 weeks, we found out last week that a family who had lost their referral got back on the list, so we're now at #2 again. Even with that, I'm not too concerned because I'm finally getting to the point of not freaking out each morning that our referral may happen. I know it will happen sometime! I'd rather not be staring at my phone when it does, you know?

Anyways, for our official numbers we are #8 Girl and #2 Boy. So in total we moved 76 spots for girls, and 49 spots for boys! That's a lot of movement in the 16 months we have been on the waitlist!

In other numbers, we've been in the process now for just about 1 year and 8 months (20 months). That's a lot of months! I am positive that when we started the process that March of 2010, we never would have DREAMED of waiting 20 months for a referral. But, the Lord's timing is good and we will one day see how our child fits perfectly in our family because of God's exact timing.

Thank you, friends, for walking beside us in this journey! Your support is seriously invaluable. Thank you for not getting tired of this waiting game, and continuing to stay interested in our journey and make me feel like an expectant mother. I'll tell you, if I ever get pregnant, that 9 month wait will seem like a split second compared to this! Thank you for praying with us and for us and for keeping my heart in check by reminding me of the gospel when I get off focus. This has been a truly refining process! I've said it before that adoption has been a form of sanctification for me- giving over my idols of becoming a mom and having control. The beautiful thing is that at the end of this sanctification process, I get to be a mom too. The Lord is so good and generous.

Mom-To-Be Training Week

2011-10-31T15:21:00.000-04:00

Last week, I spent five days in Charlotte with my mom, caring for my sister's two sweet kids while she and her husband went on a well-deserved vacation. Beau is 9 months old, and Hannah Beth is almost 2 and a half (and mostly potty trained- yay!).

Being a mom-to-be, I volunteered for the night shift each night with Beau- who still wakes up 2-4 times a night! He is so active and hates missing out on anything- he's always wanting to play or be snuggled!

Little Hannah Beth is so funny! She has the sweetest giggle and called me 'Bekah Bear" all week. She was a great helper around the house and would feed Beau snacks in the backseat when we were driving! It was so fun to see her "big sis" personality shine as she kept all of us in line.

These kids were so fun, exhausting, sweet, and playful. It was a rewarding five days, but I'm glad to be back home with Will!

I definitely learned a lot during my time caring for two small children. It is a LOT of work to stay organized and prepared for whatever may happen. It is no easy feat to go to the grocery store or even to get out of the house to the park. I will say, one of the hardest parts was also one of my favorites- waking up multiple times in the middle of the night to feed and rock Beau was a memory I will love. I was sitting there rocking him and wondering where my little one was, who was rocking him, and how old he'll be when I'll finally get to hold our baby! (I'm assuming it's a he now, ha.)

So after a week of watching small children, I'm ready! Tired, but ready! I think I have a better idea of the chaos that is parenting small children, and I'm excited to join the mommy club one day... soon please, Lord!

Highs and Lows

2011-10-18T16:00:00.002-04:00

It's been a week since I've blogged, so how about a little "highs" and "lows" recap?

High Point:
-Had dinner with two other local AGCI Ethiopia families, both on the waitlist for sweet kids from Hannah's Hope. It was great connecting with other adoptive families and seeing the blessing of an adoption community. We thought we'd lost that when we moved, and the Lord provided that for us again. So good!

Low Point:
-Almost caught the kitchen on fire the other day. No lie, I left the room for less than a minute and returned to see my pot of boiling water ON FIRE! I'm talking flames, people. Thankfully nothing else caught fire and I'm just down an old Chefmate pot. I'm still finding floating bits of ash around the kitchen.

High Point:
-I have found a few ways to make myself distracted. I have enjoyed the company of several friends, and even started volunteering at a local non-profit. Yay for distractions! Yay for our incredible library! Yay for finally finishing the curtains in the kitchen!

Low Point:
-Every single day, I imagine how the day would look different if we got the referral that day. Every time I meet with someone or have a plan, I preface the time with "if I get a phone call I have to go." After doing this for, uh, 3 weeks straight... it gets a little exhausting. Some days are better, and some days it is really hard.

High Point:
-I was able to talk to a precious friend in NC last week, who brought home a Hannah's Hope baby this summer. Her family sat at #1 for 9 weeks last winter, and she had some great encouragement for me in the waiting season.

Low Point:
-Not being able to sleep at night because I can't control my roaming mind, and not being able to nap because I fear missing a phone call.

High Point:
-Being able to share with new people about our adoption process and having people be excited about it with us. Being able to easily share the gospel because adoption is such a clear picture of it.

High Point:
-Having scripture that testifies of God's goodness and faithfulness. Knowing that truly, His plans are best and His timing is right.

High Point:
-Lots of good news came out of Ethiopia in the last week. Families passing court while they were there (this is huge!) and embassy news. Praise God for movement and for children coming home to forever families soon!

High Point:
-Being in Jacksonville. It's hard to be away from the community we had, but God is so faithful and we are seeing His fruit here in awesome ways. This will be a great place to bring our baby home to.

High Point:
-When you have salvation in Christ, the high points always, always outweigh the low points.

When You Want a Baby but Don't Have One

2011-10-11T22:12:00.000-04:00

If you didn't know already, infertility didn't have a role in our journey to adopt. We never went though the agony of waiting each month for a positive pregnancy test, but I think I'm beginning to understand what that may be like. You see, for the past two + weeks, every day I have woken up thinking that "this is the day!" and it hasn't happened. And for the record, we're 19 months into this adoption process, not that we're counting, right? So that is 19 months of dreaming about a sweet baby, anticipating a special phone call that announces us parents, and writing the words "REFERRAL" on our facebook pages and blog.

But I have got to take captive my thoughts. I cannot focus on what I don't have. I cannot dream about the time when I'll be a mom and miss this time that I'm not one. I cannot wallow in a pity party of things that the Lord has not given me yet.

Today Will played a game with me. He came in, saw that I was disappointed in another day passing, and redirected my thoughts. He said, "What is true?" And I had to go through all the things I knew to be true. God is good. He is faithful. He loves me. He loves our baby more than I do. He has greater plans that we know. His desire is for orphans to have families. He withholds no good things from His children. He is close to the brokenhearted and comforts us.
So that's what I'm choosing to do- focus on what is true. Because focusing on timelines, guessing the timing of our referral, being frustrated with the process- those are not bringing me to Truth. Keep me accountable and cover us in prayer- we need the Lord's grace to do this.

God's Will for Your Wait

2011-10-10T09:41:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, my bff Leigh shared this blog post with me. PLEASE read it. It is about God's will for your wait. You may not be waiting on anything right now but I'm sure someone you know is.

"God's Will for your Wait" by Paul Trip (<----click the link!)

Ordinary Hero Grant Opportunity

2011-10-08T09:18:00.000-04:00

Here's the deal, one of our fundraising opportunities is through Ordinary Hero, an awesome ministry that ministers to orphans in various places. They have some super cool stuff (and their shirts are SO comfy!) - you can buy and we benefit from! You see, we're in the TOP 10 for a possible grant of $1,000! The deadline is Sunday at midnight before the top 3 sellers get the grant money!

So if you are able to and interested, consider shopping at Ordinary Hero. When you go to the shopping cart, check "Will & Rebekah McGee" as affiliates- and we'll get the credit towards the grant & a large percentage of profits!

You rock! Thanks so much for your support and helping us spread the word!

http://www.ordinaryherostore.org/

Monthly Check-In Call

2011-10-06T19:09:00.000-04:00

Tonight we got our call from a case manager at our agency (not our "B"- our case manager is out right now) for our monthly check in call.

We went over a few things: that the communication schedule with AGCI will change for waitlist families (and the AGCI representative said that she didn't think we would be affected by this because we will no longer be a waitlist family soon! yay!); our referral could come at any time, and there is no way to tell when the children will come in and are ready to be referred; and what the process of getting our new FDL updated looks like (since we moved, etc).

I walked away from the conversation encouraged that our waitlist time is coming to a close and hopefully soon we'll have a baby to be praying for by name and face. I love every single one of the AGCI people we have talked with- they are such an amazing staff and we're so, so glad we used them for our adoption!!!

So now that our monthly check-in call is over, the NEXT CALL we get from our agency should be a REFERRAL!!!! Honestly, I'm doing so much better this week than last week. I so appreciate your prayers; know that they are making a difference and the Lord has given me a peace that only comes from Him. I am trying to stay distracted and not focused on my phone or that the timing of our referral would be perfect in whatever moment I'm in. The Lord is so good, so faithful.

Homestudy Approved

2011-10-03T18:08:00.000-04:00

Although our homestudy draft has been at AGCI for a few weeks (thus clearing us for a referral because all they needed to see was that our home passed inspection) - today we heard that (after a few revisions, of course) our homestudy is officially done and approved.

Now we have to send it off to get our new FDL, and since we're about 3 months away from our USCIS fingerprints expiring, we have to get those fingerprints redone now too. It's one thing after another with this paperwork!

Still no news on a baby. Our case manager's mother passed away last week from cancer, and we're keeping "B" in our prayers. I can't imagine going back to work after such a loss. I'm not sure when exactly she's going back, and I am sure things at AGCI will be a little chaotic for a while.

In the last few days we have reason to rejoice with other AGCI families- several court dates and referrals have happened, which is always exciting! I hope we can join in with good news of our own soon!

Can Somebody Give Me a Baby?

2011-09-29T06:30:00.000-04:00

This week I have not been so patient. I am easily brought to tears over the ache of my empty arms and the empty crib upstairs. I have reorganized our nursery several times, and stared at my phone too many times.

Tuesday I convinced myself it was the perfect day for a referral.

And we didn't get one.

I don't know why I let myself think that way- but I just kept thinking how perfect it would be to have a referral now.

Next week I'll be making a quick trip to NC to babysit our niece, who lives where we moved from. I would love to share our referral news in person with the people who supported us so well through this adoption journey. Because of this, I have been aching for a referral before I go. Will and I are also going to be apart for 5 days, and I don't want our referral to happen during this time! So I have been praying for "perfect" timing of our referral (as in, YESTERDAY, Lord!).

I find myself begging God to bless us with a baby. Why not yet, Lord? When is it our turn?

I know, I know, I know.

I must continue to trust the Lord. To believe him that HE is faithful and He loves us and is working on our behalf for His glory.

Psalm 27:7- 8, 13-14

Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, "Seek my face."My heart says to you,
"Your face, LORD, do I seek."

I believe that I shall look uponthe goodness of the LORD
   in the land of the living!
Wait for the LORD;
   be strong, and let your heart take courage;
   wait for the LORD!

Thirty One Fundraiser: Last Day to Order Online!

2011-09-28T09:14:00.000-04:00

If you are interested in buying something from Thirty-One to help with our adoption, you can go online here. If you have questions, contact me :)

Thank you to those of you who have shopped ;)

Keeping Busy

2011-09-26T06:45:00.000-04:00

The first week of being "referral ready" (homestudy stuff is done) went well. I definitely kept my phone charged and handy, and Will and I made a game plan for when we get a referral. He'll come home if he's at work, we're going to look at the pictures together, and we have our list of must-call people in case we're scattered at the time.

This week I was a bit antsier than before, and definitely stared at my phone willing it to ring a few times! :) But at the same time, I tried to keep myself busy so that I'm not thinking about our referral all the time. I certainly don't want to waste this time that the Lord has given us to get adjusted to our new town before being in a crazy emotional state knowing our child is in Africa!

It is also hard because we're so close to getting our referral, and our sweet friends are keeping in touch with me very regularly, wanting to know if we have gotten any news and to make sure I'm ok. I love it and hate it. I love that people care so much, and love that people are kind to ask- but I'm fighting with my heart all day to stay distracted and not overthink things too!

We have also been more intense in our prayers for our baby. We are praying for safety and comfort as he/she transitions and that our baby will know the love of the Lord more intensely than ever. We are praying for all of the stuff that is going on in Ethiopia right now with some families who are trusting the Lord that their children are safe and coming home to them. We are praying for the officials in MOWYCA and the Court Officials as court reopens next month, for cases to move forward quickly and ethically. We're praying for Almaz and the special mothers at Hannah's Hope who are loving the sweet children and fighting so hard for them to have moms and dads. There is a lot to pray for, and we are doing just that.

Sigh of Relief!

2011-09-19T06:41:00.003-04:00

Friday our homestudy was sent to AGCI for review!!! Our case manager emailed us Friday night saying "Go into this weekend with peace knowing that all that work you did has gotten you to the point where you should be just fine to be referred when that day comes!"

Isn't that relieving?! So now we are back on track, ready to get a referral when that day comes. We know that it could be any day now OR we could end up waiting several months! We have a friend that waited nine weeks at the #1 spot- so we know that is possible.

Just as a heads-up, when we DO get a referral we will not be posting any baby pictures online. We promise we will want to show them to you when the timing is right, but until the child is legally ours we can't post anything online. But I'm sure if you want to swing by Alabama I'll show them to you in person!

Also, we are going to keep our child's story between us. Not even grandparents or aunts and uncles are going to know the baby's story about why and how it came to be relinquished/orphaned. We feel that this is extremely personal information that our child should be the first to know. Please respect us by not asking questions about the child's history.

And I can't thank all of you enough for sharing in our excitement and encouraging us during this crazy season. It is so fun to have so many friends who are walking through this with us, that support us and are praying for this process.

Consignment Sale!

2011-09-17T06:53:00.000-04:00

I went to a Consignment sale and really scored big! It is so fun having the nursery set up so I know what things we still need! I showed some self-control by staying away from the clothes racks, although I was very tempted!

For $41, I got a collapsible baby gate, a changing pad, two rubber placemats/ food catchers, a piggy bank, crib mattress covers, hangers, and a giraffe ball popper.

I went back the next day and got a pack and play (not quite the one pictured but very similar pattern) for $75!!! The same one was listed online for $150 and it was in excellent condition! I wanted a pack- and play that could be good for multiple babies (hey, we're just getting started!) so this one was perfect.

We're feeling a lot more prepared each day!

Need your advice: Diaper Bag?

2011-09-16T06:47:00.000-04:00

So I need to ask you veteran mamas a question: what kind of diaper bag do you have/recommend? What are necessary functions of a diaper bag? Where did you order yours? Anything to steer clear of when picking one out? Do you like for it to be monogrammed, or is it best to get one that is good for multiple kids? Will a diaper bag last for more than one kid? Also, what is a fair price for a quality diaper bag?

I know that I want one that is very functional, that has a good organizational vibe to it, and is not so frilly that my husband won't want to hold it.

Ok - share away! Thanks :)

Thanks Jenny!

2011-09-15T09:18:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I got a fun package in the mail from my friend Jenny (whom I have never met, we connected through blogs!):

Formula, Body Wash, and Coupons!

This package is so special because all of it is going to Ethiopia!

Ever since I posted about collecting formula to take to Ethiopian orphanages, I have had such positive response and some people have sent me MULTIPLE boxes of goods to take over (that is a lot of $$ for shipping too!).

There have been several people who have joined me in collecting formula/ coupons to get formula- and I have been so blessed by you Hope, Jenny, Allison, Meredith, Sarah... (I hope I didn't forget anyone!).

It means so much to me, not just because I didn't know these people before this process, but because other people care enough to support these kids who desperately need formula to survive. Thank you so much Jenny and others!

And if you would like to join in and send anything for Ethiopia, email me (yestoadoption @ gmail . com) and I'll send you our address! Things that would be good to take are formula, diapers, wipes and bath wash. They always need those!

We're praying that we will travel this winter- but still, check the dates on the formula to make them as far out as possible :)

Official September Numbers!

2011-09-14T22:14:00.001-04:00

Well it is official folks- we are #2 for a boy, and #9 for a girl!

We know that the #1 boy family wants an "older child" (older than 12 months) so we are actually #1 for an infant boy!

BUT as we all know- we cannot get a referral until our social worker sends our home study report to AGCI. I know that she is working on it so we are hoping it is finished ASAP!

One consistent theme with this adoption process is a realization that everything is out of our control. All I can do is pray. So much of adoption is relying on other people to do their jobs: be it get the paperwork done, submit things in a timely fashion, care for our baby across the world.... there are a lot of people involved in the process of us becoming parents, and the things that we can check off the list are pretty minimal.

Lately several people have done their best to reassure me of God's sovereignty, saying that if we DO get skipped over then that is just a means of the Lord's timing to get us the right baby. And we KNOW this but sometimes it is really frustrating too- to think that it is "our turn" and we will be skipped over. My selfishness is so gross, and I am so sorry if you have tried to encourage me and I've not been a gracious receiver. I'm a work in progress, people, and I promise that I appreciate your encouragement!

Earlier this week I was reading in Psalm 33 and Psalm 34- and felt very much like the Lord was just meeting me where I was. I needed a reminder that HE IS the one in control and that His hand is not only over us, but over our child in Ethiopia.

"For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love." (Ps 33: 4-5)

"From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth- he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do." (Ps 33:13-14)

"I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." (Ps 34: 4)

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing." (Ps 34: 8-10).

Join me in claiming these verses!
Love, Rebekah

Happy Ethiopian New Year!

2011-09-11T15:04:00.000-04:00

Happy Ethiopian New Year! (Click here for more information on the Ethiopian New Year via Wikipedia!) Welcome to 2004, Ethiopia! :) For a new year's wish, we are hoping that this is a year of speedy (yet ethical) adoptions, and that the ET government continues to prioritize the needs of the orphans in the country. We pray every day for our little one in Ethiopia and for the people who are advocating for the families and orphans in ET. If this was not a fallen world, then there would be no orphan crisis. Thankfully, we cling to the hope that the Lord will come back and make all things right one day- and there will be no orphans or widows!

Speaking of hoping for the Lord's return, I don't know about you, but I've been glued to the TV today watching 9-11 footage and the memorial service. I have found myself in tears several times thinking about the tremendous losses and the people who died without knowing Christ as Savior. What a tragedy. What a blessing to live in America where there are so many people who daily sacrifice for our freedom. What a blessing that even if our daily freedoms were lost, we know that in Christ we are truly free from the bondage of sin.

Nursery Bookshelf!

2011-09-09T10:55:00.000-04:00

Who is excited about another nursery update??!? A few weeks ago my mom and I met at IKEA where she bought the awesome Expedit bookshelf that I've been pinning in a million pictures on Pinterest. While there, we also picked up the orange bins and the blue hamper to the right of the bookshelf (currently holding stuffed animals).

ET Plaque is from my BFF Leigh, who got it from this etsy shop!

We are really excited that it is coming together- and is a fun distraction during the wait! We're still waiting for our social worker to send the homestudy draft to AGCI, and once she does that we will be able to stay on track for a referral.

Homestudy Visits Completed!

2011-09-02T15:25:00.000-04:00

Today we had our final homestudy visit with our social worker. We still need to do our physicals (scheduled for Tuesday) and get Will's Mississippi background clearance in before all of our homestudy stuff is done. Thankfully, the Alabama clearance that was expected to take 4-5 months has already been returned after just a few weeks!

So now we are waiting for our social worker to send a draft of the homestudy to our placing agency, AGCI. There will probably be revisions needed, so after those are updated then we are ALL CLEAR on a referral and can move forward like normal. Phew! I am ready to be DONE with paperwork but I know that once we have a referral we will have even more paperwork to do!

Thirty One Fundraiser!

2011-09-01T06:29:00.003-04:00

I am once again humbled by the community that the Lord has provided through this little blog. Tara contacted me a few days ago asking if she could help us fundraise through Thirty One. Take a look:

Thirty One Gifts Fundrasier!!!

Time: September 1st - September 26th

Location: http://www.mythirtyone.com/shop/eventhome.aspx?eventId=E912129&from=DIRECTLINK

20% of all Proceeds will go to McGee's Adoption Fund!! Shop now for Christmas and help us bring our little one home!

NOTES:

-- When placing your order, do not have the item shipped to the hostess!! If you would like your order to be shipped to Rebekah (in order to save you $4 for shipping) then please contact Rebekah to fill out an order form and to give her your money or contact Tara Whitaker with Thirty One @ tlc1982@aol.com. If you order online, you will need to select shipping to your house and you will need to pay the extra $4 for shipping.)

- Our fundraiser will run from 1st of September and it will end on September 26th (Last Monday of the month). I will then place the order on that Wednesday night. Therefore, all credit cards and debit cards will not be processed until then. It takes about 10 days for orders to be processed/shipped.

-- Take advantage of the Customer Special for September:

Click to enlarge to see the September specials!

Thank you so much for your help!

A Very Important Weekend

2011-08-30T09:34:00.000-04:00

Most of you adoption blog readers will know of this retreat I'm about to mention- but if you haven't heard of it (and are interested in adoption/fostering) then LISTEN UP!

Last year I was blessed to go to the Created for Care Retreat in Atlanta- and this year they are doing it again (same place- Lake Lanier, GA) January 27-29th, 2012. The second year will be BIGGER and there will be even more breakout sessions/ topics that you won't want to miss if you can help it! This retreat is carefully planned and beautifully executed. The speakers share their stories and show how the Lord has provided and met the needs for their families when they step out in faith. I wrote about 30 pages of notes in my notebook that weekend!

A group of AGCI mamas

I have seen so much come out of this retreat last year. Friendships that extended beyond "blog world"- information that seeped through and encouraged and empowered women to do more and dream bigger- families saying "yes" in new adventures that the Lord was leading them to.... it could go on.

If you are on the fence about going, doubting the value of the trip (it is $165 for registration and you can spit a hotel room with up to 4-5 people)- ask me or anyone else who went- it is worth it! Also, last year when we lived in Raleigh, I posted here about wanting to carpool down to it, and a few emails later we had a van full of ladies from different agencies with different stories headed south. I looked forward to the drive as much as the retreat.

So in short, SIGN UP! And you don't have long to think about it. Registration starts September 1. Last year it filled up in one day! So ask your hubby, beg your family for an early Christmas present if you need it, and have your computer ready to register. You can worry about driving arrangements and rooming situations later. :)

Unfortunately I won't be able to go this year but I am counting on all of you attendees to give me a full report with notes and stories, ok??

For All You Mamas-To-Be

2011-08-29T11:50:00.000-04:00

I saw this on facebook and had to pass along (thanks Alicia!)...

B@bies R U$ is having a special deal this week where if you buy a changing table & dresser you get a free crib! Check out the deal here.

Happy Monday!

Second Homestudy Visit

2011-08-26T20:14:00.000-04:00

Today we went to Birmingham for our second visit with our social worker for our homestudy. This time Will & I did our separate interviews for the home study where we talked about our childhood, family, and personal life. We joked that we are becoming professionals at talking about ourselves!

We have one more homestudy visit next week and then we SHOULD be all-clear for a referral. I wrote here about how our case manager said that once our report is written (pending background checks and physicals) and AGCI approves it, we are all-clear to stay on track for a referral. Which may be soon. Yay!

Does Paperwork Make Me Crazy? Or was I this way before?

2011-08-24T16:50:00.000-04:00

All of this running around and calling people has made me a little crazy. I'm attributing it to the move, the paperwork, and the $$ signs floating in our head (as in, look how fast it disappears!). Even I am driving myself crazy. Because I know that leaving several voicemails, then just showing up at an office for an answer to a silly homestudy question is not "normal" for me, righhht?

But that is what happens when you are SOO CLOSE to seeing your baby's face yet your fate lies in the hands of another person (or fingerprint agencies, insurance company, and the timeliness of a pay stub for proof of employment).

So I'm motivated, scatterbrained, and feisty. Watch out! I will call my case manager on you!

...................................................................

In other news, we are doing another fundraiser. We're partnering with Ordinary Hero through their shop. If you check "McGee, Rebekah & Will" as the affiliate we get 40% of the profits from your purchase. AND the stuff is adorable and super comfy. I wear my OH shirt quite often. Check the website here.

For other fundraising adventures, we're thinking about doing a blog auction. Like, post stuff on here and people bid on them. You see, we were fully prepared to handle as much of this adoption stuff as we could (the Lord has been very faithful to provide and we know He will continue to do so)... but a surprise home study (we weren't expecting to move in the midst of this process) and pending referral & travel fees make us a little nervous about the timing of it all coming together. So anything you would like to contribute to an online blog auction would be amazing and generous and wonderful. And I will mail you a personal copy of our cute baby's face when we have a picture, deal?

If you're interested in partnering with us in that effort, contact me at yestoadoption@gmail.com

THANKS SO MUCH!!! So so so appreciative of you friends for standing by us amidst this craziness. God is so faithful!

Nursery Beginnings....

2011-08-23T09:45:00.001-04:00

As previously mentioned, we have started on our nursery! We painted it pretty soon after moving in because we were determined to get rid of all the peach paint on every wall :) We had some leftover blue paint from our dining room so it was kind of a default choice to use blue in the nursery. The bedding I have made so far is gender neutral (blue + green + yellow + orange) so I am not worried about having blue walls if we end up with a girl.

So, one day when I wanted to unpack something more fun than dishes or clothes, I got in our nursery and took all of the crib parts out of the box. Will happened to walk by and I got in trouble- he said that was a daddy job!!! So I ended up playing photographer while he assembled it for me. I love it!

Here are some more pictures of stuff in the nursery!

Crib, car seat, high chair, box of toys!

We have a lot of stuff already thanks to so many precious friends and family. Next week I hope to paint that dresser (green or orange!) and this week I'm going to get a bookshelf for the nursery. We also have to hang stuff (bunting flags, world map, etc). I'm not quite done with the crib bedding- as you can see I made the quilt but I still need to do the skirt, curtains, and maybe bumpers :)!

I'll post more pictures soon!

It is not official but...

2011-08-22T21:49:00.000-04:00

There have been some updates on the AGCI listserve- some court dates and referrals and we are SO SO SO HAPPY for all of these families!

I've mentioned before how families can opt into the listserve with AGCI, and can tell what their official numbers are. There is like an "underground" list that keeps the unofficial numbers (according to referrals, etc).

And according to this list... we are NUMBER TWO for a boy. And we don't know the family in front of us (they are not on the listserve) so we may very well be NUMBER ONE!!!!!!!!!!

Now, we have to make sure our home study stuff is in before we can get a referral but GOOD GRACIOUS we are MOTIVATED!!!!!

Can you tell by the Caps Lock that I AM EXCITED!!?!?!?!?

Homestudy Visit

2011-08-20T06:32:00.000-04:00

Friday we had our home inspection with our new homestudy agency. We love our new homestudy social worker and are so excited that she is willing to work fast to get our process rolling. We were cleared on our home (no surprise, we knew what she was looking for) and were able to give her most things we needed for our homestudy update.

She said she wasn't ready to send all of our material to AGCI until we are cleared with our physicals and some forms that we still need to get together. Hopefully it can be done soon!!!

Thanks for praying for us- please pray that we are able to have all of this done very quickly so we can move forward with our adoption asap :)

August Official Numbers!

2011-08-19T09:26:00.001-04:00

Hi friends! Here are our August numbers.

For a girl, we are:

For a boy, we are:

So we moved three spots on each list this month to make us 15 and 5!!!

Although we are so excited to be in the TOP FIVE for a boy, we are expecting things to slow down for a few reasons.

1. We are updating our homestudy due to a move/ job change- even if we get to number one we may be skipped over until our homestudy documents are updated (this may not take long, but I am prepared that it could take a month or two).

2. It is the "rainy season" in Ethiopia. This happens every fall for about two months. This season means that courts are closed, so families that have not been to court will have to wait until October when court reopens to go or be given a court date. This always causes a backlog, so the next few months will slow down. Add to that, the Ethiopian MOWA department is processing fewer cases than years before, so families are not typically passing court when they go- a specific letter has been delayed for most families so the families have to come home from the first trip and wait until they get court clearances to then be given an embassy date... this means the whole process of the two trips takes longer. So the babies that are already at Hannah's Hope will be there longer than "normal" so it means less children are coming in... does that make sense?

3. Several orphanages closed in Ethiopia, including one that AGCI contracts with. Hannah's Hope, the transition home that our baby will come from, partners with several government orphanages including one that just shut down. These orphanage closures were for many reasons, including the Ethiopian government wanting to find an alternative solution to the orphan problem aside from international adoption.

This will affect Hannah's Hope because 1. They get many children from that orphanage. Although AGCI partners with other orphanages, this may allow for a slow down of children brought into HH. 2. Some families have been referred children that were at one of these now closed orphanages, and their cases will require more time and work- so these children won't come home on a "normal" time frame. (Please pray for these families and children!!!) 3. I'm sure there are many other ways I'm just not educated about!

So please pray for Ethiopia, for the many families caught up in court closure and the orphanages closing. We pray that the Lord would be glorified and He would be the healer of these precious children's hearts as they wait for redemption and a home.

***Updated to Add: My friend Leigh encouraged me that the orphanage closures may not affect referrals at all. "I know it seems like it should but because kids are pulled from all the bethzatha orphanage and go to the main center in Addis then to HH all it means is that more kids will be able to be pulled more quickly from those other orphanages into the Addis care center. The reason so many kids this last round are from the south is because it seems like bethzatha moves kids in groups so paper work for kids from regions are submitted at the same time. Like how all those Gambella kids had referrals at the same time then this time there was a group from the south, ect. Of course, it's very sad that the orphanage closed and those kids were transferred out and they region does need some prayer so that they can sort through their issues so the kids that are stuck can get through. Just don't want you to be discouraged about that" Thanks Leigh for the information and encouragement!

Exciting News!

2011-08-15T21:25:00.000-04:00

Great things are happening!!!!

1. The nursery is painted and the crib is set up! I know this is really early, but after being in the adoption process for a year and a half- I am choosing to view the empty nursery as a beacon of HOPE and not of a lacked blessing. The Lord continues to show His faithfulness in this process and having a nursery to develop is so much fun! Pictures to come soon!

2. Our first home study visit is Friday! Since we moved to a new state, we have to do a whole new home study. We have already sent off our Alabama Child Abuse & Neglect clearances (did that 2 weeks ago) and those may take around 4 months to get back. Bummer. But our home inspection is Friday and we are working hard to get all of the other details in place to have our home study finished very quickly.

3. Waiting Time. So, we were all a bit confused as to how the whole referral process would happen now that we have to update our homestudy. Well, we received a VERY EXCITING email today from our case manager that said that since our NC homestudy is not expired, once our AL homestudy has been drafted (as in- we have passed our home inspection) we can send the draft to AGCI and we can receive a referral before those long awaited background checks come in! Yall, this is a difference in waiting 2 more months or 4 more months. So, although it is still possible that we could work our way to the #1 spot and get skipped over until our home study is done, we don't have to wait forever on background clearances too. Or, this won't "mess" us up at all in our current timeframe. Who knows?! We are choosing to celebrate this small victory. WOO HOOOOOOO!

Attitude Check

2011-07-31T20:01:00.000-04:00

Don't you get annoyed when you read the Old Testament- and God continues to provide for the Israelites yet they are always griping about His provision? God sends down the exact amount of food they need each day- and they complain that they want variety. They are rescued from slavery and have freedom- yet they want to go back.

Sometimes I am just like that. Okay, a lot of times.

In the last week, I have had several freak out moments where I am just OVERWHELMED by the Lord's goodness and provision for us.

Let's name a few:
- Found a perfect house to rent while living in Jacksonville. It is way bigger than we need, but perfect for college ministry (what Will is going to be doing).
-Since we have a too-big house, we need more furniture. Coincidentally, my parents decided to change out their living room- and are giving us a sofa, two big chairs and an ottoman. Score!
-We had an amazing baby shower - so many needs were met for our little one.
-Our new church paid for a moving company to PACK and MOVE our stuff- we didn't have to do anything!
-We found a great homestudy agency- one that I know I'm going to love 100% more than our first one. They are willing to work with us on a fast timeline!

YET- I manage to find something to complain about in every instance. Big house= lots more to clean... how are we going to get the awesome furniture?.... I didn't get enough time to "play" with my baby stuff- had to pack it up immediately (seriously, I can't believe I thought that but while I'm in the spirit of confession, let's be honest...), we are without our stuff for several days....new homestudy = $3,000+ and LOTS of work.

So of course, I began focusing on the negatives instead of the TREMENDOUS BLESSING that the Lord has been pouring over us. I don't want a pity party, folks- and I don't want to be like the Israelites where I miss out on the joy of the provision because I'm wanting something more, or wanting to return to a previous season.

So here it is: my attitude check. The Lord has been so incredibly good to us. Even if he hadn't given us the list above of all the things we needed/desired, we have countless stories of God's faithfulness in our lives- especially because I have been redeemed by Christ and have a relationship with Him. How easily do I get distracted from the point of everything!?!

So I would appreciate your prayers in this new season: for the homestudy process, for our new ministry in AL, for this adoption to move forward quickly, and most of all: for the Lord to be glorified regardless of the details.

Farewell Party/Baby Shower!

2011-07-28T14:57:00.000-04:00

Several very precious friends of mine decided to throw me a farewell baby shower before we moved to AL. It was so sweet and it meant so much to me that people blessed us so well!

One of my best friends, Anna- and her two kids!

Ladies at the shower!

Summit ladies- all expecting! Leanne- fostering, Stephanie- AGCI/Ethiopia, Catherine-Rwanda, me, Ashley-Gladney/Ethiopia, Laura Ashley- pregnant!

Will's mom, sister and her daughter!

My niece Lottie helping me with presents!

I had a lot of fun! Aside from eating and opening gifts, we played baby bingo and "where is Ethiopia" where everyone tried to find it on a map of Africa- it was pretty hilarious!

We were SO SO SO blessed by the generosity of our friends. We are pretty much set on hooded towels & kitchen towels, and got a lot of other fun things that I can't wait to use (moby wrap, travel booster seat, wipes warmer, cloth diaper, Jesus Storybook bible, lotion/ shampoo, etc.)!!!! My MIL also got us our high chair (it was delivered to the house so we didn't bring it to the shower), and I'm so tempted to set it up as soon as we move! (Can I justify it by saying I want to make sure all the parts are in the box?)

As soon as I got home, my husband and I looked at all of the neat stuff we got and then immediately had to pack it up. :( We're moving this weekend and went ahead and organized all of our baby stuff.

I am so excited that we are SO SO close to getting our referral and having our baby home. After a year and four months of the adoption process, "baby fever" is an understatement :)

Paperchase, Round Two

2011-07-25T14:59:00.000-04:00

Big things are happening for us, folks! This weekend we went to our future home in Alabama- where Will was officially accepted at the church he will be working at. We also found our future home and it is ADORABLE! You better believe nursery plans are reeling through my head right now! We move down in a week and I'm so excited (but sad to leave too!).

So now that we have an address, we have officially applied with a contracted home study agency. We're about to being the second round of the paperchase and we will be seeing a lot of the same paperwork that we did last year.

This weekend the Lord affirmed in us that we are making the right decision to move to Alabama for this opportunity. Even though the timing (moving when we are SO CLOSE to a referral) is not how I would have planned it, I can't wait to see how the story unfolds! I guess I am letting my dream of a baby by Christmas go, but I'm thankful that the Lord ordains our steps, and we will have more time to serve our new community before our world changes when we become parents. The Lord is so faithful, you guys! I hope you have seen that in our story.

She deserves an award or something...

2011-07-22T06:10:00.003-04:00

My sister Sarah has been working hard to collect stuff for Hannah's Hope. She has been gathering coupons and stocking up on soy formula and diapers! She made it her goal to fill a tub for us to bring to Ethiopia on one of our trips - and she did it! It was a huge accomplishment not just because she took the time to shop, gather the coupons, etc, but because she has a 3 month old and has done all this while managing her 3 kids!! You rock Sarah!

I am so grateful for the support we have received from our family and friends. Everyday I am getting text messages from my sisters about how excited they are to get a niece or nephew soon. And don't get me started on our parents- they are SO EXCITED that their grandbaby will be 2ish hours away now that we are moving to Alabama (both sets of parents! woo hoo!). I guess that since we didn't know how our family would receive the news of our international adoption at first, it makes it that much sweeter that they are all 100% on board and ready for our little on to come home from Ethiopia.

First Shower!

2011-07-21T14:09:00.000-04:00

Well, it wasn't really a shower, but my office threw me a farewell potluck lunch today, and included some parting baby gifts! Since I will be leaving full-time employment and embarking into a homemaking season, I fully appreciate anything that will help me be a better mom! In addition to some incredibly thoughtful words, the office pitched in and bought me some very fun items to make for a very memorable ending to my job (although I still am working a few days next week).

They got me an incredible video monitor that we registered for, a super soft bear, The Little Engine that Could, and a BEAUTIFUL hand-carved wooden train that was made locally in NC. I am so thankful for these beautiful and thoughtful gifts that will remind me of my time at this job.

It was a privilege working for people that were so supportive of our adoption. So many people would often check in to see our progress along the waitlist, and I know they are all a bit sad that we are leaving right as we get to the exciting part of the process! Our finance manager was the person who notarized EVERY document during our paperchase; she even went to the doctor with us for our physicals! A very generous anonymous donor from our office gave us $500 last summer! Needless to say, we have been VERY blessed at my office and it will be sad to leave this support system... but we know the Lord will provide a new support system for us in Alabama, too!

Fresh Air Fund

2011-07-16T06:33:00.000-04:00

ATTENTION! Families who want to become involved in Orphan Care and are open to hosting foster children for 1-2 weeks THIS SUMMER! Here is a unique opportunity! Also, this is a great chance to show the love of the gospel to some children that may not have a chance to hear it otherwise. Host families are those in the NE region of the US. Scroll down to read more!

If you have been around here a while, you'll notice we blog about a bit more than our adoption process. I like to highlight other friends who are going through the process when they have fundraisers going on, or mention organizations like BigHouse who are advocating for foster families, or our church Orphan Care ministries. I was delighted when Fresh Air Fund contacted me to blog about the amazing ministry they have going on.

The Fresh Air Fund is still in need of 850 host families for this summer. Host families are volunteers who open their hearts and homes to children from the city to give them a Fresh Air experience that can change lives. It's only for up to two weeks, but it's an experience that can change their lives forever.
Fresh Air children are boys and girls, six to 18 years old, who live in New York City. Children on first-time visits are six to 12 years old and stay for either one or two weeks. Youngsters who are re-invited by the same family may continue with The Fund through age 18, and many enjoy longer summertime visits, year after year. A visit to the home of a warm and loving volunteer host family can make all the difference in the world to an inner-city child. All it takes to create lifelong memories is laughing in the sunshine and making new friends.
The majority of Fresh Air children are from low-income communities. These are often families without the resources to send their children on summer vacations. Most inner-city youngsters grow up in towering apartment buildings without large, open, outdoor play spaces. Concrete playgrounds cannot replace the freedom of running barefoot through the grass or riding bikes down country lanes.

Fresh Air children are registered by more than 90 participating social service and community organizations located in disadvantaged neighborhoods in the five boroughs of New York City. These community-based agencies are in close contact with children in need of summer experiences in rural and suburban areas. Each agency is responsible for registering children for the program.

Here is a microsite which explains everything, so please feel free to use any of the images, graphics, banners, or copy: http://freshairfundhost.org/

Official July Numbers!

2011-07-14T18:03:00.000-04:00

This month is a big milestone for us. On July 27th, we will be officially waiting for ONE YEAR! Last year we turned in our dossier (months of paperwork) on July 22nd- but when it was reviewed there were two silly errors that had to be updated. I was so frustrated, after examining that paperwork a million times I thought I would have caught those errors! I hate to say I cried a bit when we didn't get our waitlist numbers that Friday. But on Tuesday, July 27, 2010- we got that phone call with those numbers we ached for- 84 girl, 51 boy- we were officially waiting.

So here we are, a year later, and we are not where we thought we would be! We thought surely we would have our referral by now, but God has divine timing with our pending move to Alabama.

So our July 2011 numbers are.......

For a girl:

For a boy:

Yes folks that is right- SINGLE DIGITS! And what is even MORE EXCITING is that we are definitely LOWER than 8 because there have been referrals this month that have not been accounted for in our official numbers.

I'm not going to be obsessive about carrying my phone around (yet) but I am getting REALLY EXCITED!!!

You know what else is really fun? Some of my girl friends up in NC are throwing me a baby shower on the 26th before we move. How thoughtful and special! I am so giddy thinking about baby stuff... I already warned Will that the first room that may get set up when we move is the nursery, haha!

Big Changes!

2011-07-11T10:11:00.000-04:00

We are so thrilled to announce that we are moving to Alabama! Will accepted a position at a church in Jacksonville, and we are thrilled to be a part of what God is doing in that town. When we visited, we saw so many things that made our hearts leap and we can't wait to get down there. Did I mention the pediatrician is from Ethiopia? Yep, pretty cool.

Moving means a lot for us... leaving a church that we love, people that are very dear to us, and a large adoptive community/support system. But we have seen how faithful the Lord was to provide all of these things for us before, and we anticipate that He will meet our needs and equip us to love and serve Him in all places.

So... what about our adoption?

Well, we have to do a completely NEW home study, because we are changing states. New background checks, interviews, home tour, new homestudy agency (we are still clients of AGCI and they will be our placing agency).

This will be a lot of work and a good bit of expense... but you know what? We are confident in the Lord's plan and timing and that all of these bumps in the road will lead us to the child that is meant to be ours. And the extra months of waiting may be good for us as we learn the ropes in a new town and prepare to be parents. So although we don't know exactly how this will affect our timeline, we are excited to move forward and follow God's lead.

Summit Church: Russell Moore & Orphan Care Meeting

2011-06-28T08:58:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we were blessed to have Dr. Russell Moore (author of Adopted for Life) come to our church. He did a wonderful job teaching on the subject of adoption and I hope you will take the time to watch or listen to the sermon. Click here to view/listen.

There is also an Orphan Care Meeting TONIGHT at 7pm in the Bay at the Summit. From the website: "This meeting is for everyone! We'll update you on what's been going on with the Orphan Care Ministry and we will talk about foster care and domestic adoption in more detail. There will be a time for questions. Childcare is available." More details here.

Hope you all are doing well! These days we are trusting in the Lord's sovereignty and are thankful that He holds all things together, and all things work on His timing. It is so freeing to trust in Jesus.

Your Loss Is My Gain??

2011-06-22T15:00:00.000-04:00

I believe the best way to describe my current status is: mixed emotions. It is not impossible that we could get a referral by the end of the summer! So much anticipation and excitement is in our hearts, yet we realize that the gift of our child comes from a huge loss on someone else's part.

I guess the reality of the "big picture" of our adoption has really started to hit. That although it is going to be a joyous day (for me & Will) when we get our baby, it won't be the beginning of his/her life, and even our gotcha day will be a bit traumatic for this child that has had too many transitions for an infant. By the time we meet our little one, the baby will have already gone through a tremendous loss, and we can't do anything about it. We can start fresh and show the baby a lot of love from that point on, but we can't go back and erase what happened, or prevent it now. Our baby will come to us because of a huge loss in its life and in the birthfamily's life as everything familiar is taken away. (Of course we trust in God's sovereignty and that He is the renewer of hearts and redeemer of bad situations.)

So as I guess that our baby may already be born now, I think- wow, could that loss be happening right now? Is our vulnerable baby dealing with a huge loss that I can't even comprehend?

And so I sit here not even knowing how to pray, yet trusting that God hears our prayers and His spirit intervenes on behalf of us.

I sit here too far away from Africa, not able to do anything to protect that little heart from hurt, yet trusting that God is knitting this precious heart together in the most perfect way.

I sit here knowing that I am inadequate and won't be the one to heal this little heart that will be entrusted to me, yet trusting that God will give us all the grace we need for each moment to come.

I sit here knowing we will have a long road ahead: an attachment that must be built, the loss of a birth family that must be recognized, and birth culture that must be honored...

So I will say, in adoption one's loss is NOT my gain. Baby, your loss is our loss. We weep with you and ache with you and we long to accept with a heavy heart the gift that your birth family and our God will give us: raising you to love Jesus.

Official June Numbers!

2011-06-15T06:55:00.000-04:00

This month we got our June numbers, and there wasn't much progress.

For a girl:

(Moved NO spots)

For a boy:

(Moved two spots)

Honestly, the numbers are not really affecting me that much {today} because I 100% trust that the Lord is going to match us with the child that is meant for our family... so if we are 14, 25, 6, or 103 then God has us "in line" for the right one- and I KNOW that God is working in my heart during this process. He has shaped me so much in this last year of waiting, and I know that He isn't done molding me and transforming me into His likeness. I am privileged that He has chosen this adoption journey as a tool to break me of my desires for control or "perfect timing"- so many lessons I have learned about trusting God's faithfulness have occurred through this process. It is unbelievable that at the end of this, we will get to be parents! What a gift, I can't wait!

Thanks for following our adoption journey and for your encouragement. It means so much to me when people stop and ask how the process is going, or that people see that I'm "expecting" and are walking beside us in this. Little things like asking about a nursery or baby names (we're not telling) or about Ethiopia's culture. It means so, so much to have your support and I know this process has been much more enjoyable because of you (you = real people I know + internet buds + invisible readers). THANK YOU!

And if you are interested in prayer requests, one that has been heavy on my heart these days is the thought that we could get a referral soon... which means that our baby is BORN and in the process of becoming an orphan. I could write a whole blog post on this (and might) but it is so hard to imagine what the birth family is going through right now, and the thought that our baby is about to be in the most vulnerable situation ever. So please join with us in praying for the birth family and for our little one- for a healthy delivery, for safety and protection, for the Lord's peace and comfort, and for God's wisdom and sovereignty in the situation. Thank you, thank you, thank you- it would bless me so much to know others are joining with us in praying these things.

Ethiopian Restaurant Double-Date!

2011-06-13T06:43:00.000-04:00

This weekend Will and I went on a double-date with another adoptive family! We went to Abyssina, an Ethiopian restaurant in downtown Raleigh. Ashley and I shared the Lega Tibs, which was basically meat and onions and injera (pancake-like/spongy bread)- it was really yummy! The waitress was a beautiful Ethiopian woman and she was so kind to us, especially because we had no clue what to order!

Our friends the Moores- they are adopting through Gl*dney and just finished their homestudy! Woo hoo!

It was really good food- and we wanted to have some Ethiopian coffee while we were there but they only had one decanter and another table was using it! Bummer!

To other local peeps- we recommend it but you need to allot plenty of time! There was only one waitress and the whole restaurant seems to run on Africa time :) It was a great experience though!

Friday Randoms

2011-06-10T09:24:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday folks! Here's a random list of things that are in my head right now:

1. I dropped off 9 cases of formula to my friend Julie, who is leaving this weekend for Hannah's Hope to pick up her son in Ethiopia! Isn't it crazy to think that those cases could help OUR BABY!!!!!!! Thanks to those of you who offered to be involved in my formula collection- I'm slowly going through emails and I hope to respond to you today!

2. I'm so excited for Julie's little boy- because that is another little AGCI baby at our church! He is also so incredibly cute and I have heard he has the funniest personality. I also was honored to be asked to make a lot of Africa shirts for their "airport party"- it is going to be awesome.

3. In addition to my joy for Julie's son coming home, my bff Leigh is headed back to Ethiopia to pick up their 4 year old son. Leigh and I talk every day, and I tear up often because I'm so excited for their family!

4. Someone on the AGCI listserve posted a blog link about Kung Fu Panda 2- it is a reaction from an adoptive parent. Please, please read it! Click here.

Formula for Babies!

2011-06-06T06:04:00.002-04:00

Coupons + Sales = The formula for getting lots of nutrition to kids who need it (for cheap)!

Okay, okay, I'll settle down with the cheesiness. But for real, YOU can help me bring some formula to the orphanage where our baby will be! (And if there is too much formula, then they will pass it along to government orphanages that need it too!)

My sister has started to join me in getting a nice stock of formula to bring to Hannah's Hope. She just got all this formula for SEVEN DOLLARS by using coupons/ buying on sale.

All this for $7!

The other day I went to CVS and found formula for $4.86, and I happened to have four $5 off coupons - which means I made profit off of these four jugs of formula!

All this for Free!

So, have I to ask you, will you help? If you are a new mom, I KNOW that you are getting coupons from Similac and Gerber for formula- are you using them? Would you be willing to pick up formula or mail me your coupons? For other couponers or those who get a Sunday paper, would you look out for coupons in your paper and set them aside/ buy formula for us to bring??

And if you ARE willing to help, will you try to buy SOY formula, as it is very expensive and hard to come by in Ethiopia! I think I read that 85 % of Ethiopians are lactose intolerant... and if the orphanages don't have soy formula, then they give the babies what formula they have, even if it makes their tummies hurt. How sad! This can be easily remedied, folks!

THANK YOU for considering partnering with us! We'll also be collecting wipes and diapers for those Hannah's Hope babies :)

AGCI Listserve, Hannah's Hope, and Orphanage Holdups

2011-05-23T06:14:00.001-04:00

AGCI offers this amazing listserve for the families, and each Friday the families put out two lists (that are created/maintained by families, not AGCI). One list is for waitlist families, and it shows what "unofficial" number you are, according to the known referrals. The other list is the post-referral list: showing referral, court, and embassy dates so we can see what the current time frame is for the post-referral process. Both lists are great ways to get to know the other families walking in this process.

Another thing this means is that we can GUESS as to how many kids have been referred at Hannah's Hope (the transition home where all the AGCI babies live). And when families go to Hannah's Hope, they can report on how many "open beds" there are, and if HH is full or not. Currently HH is not full, and most of the kids there are actually already matched with families.

My thought is: Open beds? Just bring some babies in! Our caseworker just explained to me a bit more about how this works. AGCI/Hannah's Hope partners with a few different government orphanages. When a child is paperwork ready (aka they have paperwork identifying them as a legal orphan) then the govt orphanages can call AGCI or any other of the agencies they partner with (it is seemed to be sketchy if a orphanage only partners with one transition home, like HH... so they partner with lots of agencies). So a lot of the "ebb and flow" of adoption is because the partnering government orphanages don't have paperwork-ready kids that are meant for Hannah's Hope. All kids in Hannah's Hope are paperwork ready and thus available to be matched almost immediately (although sometimes the kids are very sick, so they need a little TLC before they are ready for a referral). Sometimes the government orphanages will have a lot of kids that are ready for HH, and sometimes it is just one or two kids. There is no rhyme or reason to it.

Another thing is that "paperwork ready" is a really difficult thing sometimes! I wrote this in an earlier blog post (taken from an AGCI email regarding the paperwork process).One of the AGCI Caseworkers had just returned from Ethiopia, and noted:

"When traveling to the South [of Ethiopia] especially, I was struck by the difficulty involved in completing the relinquishment or abandonment process for a child, a process that happens before AGCI or any other agency can even consider advocating for the placement of a child with an adoptive family. To give you a little background information, when a case is being processed for relinquishment or abandonment, there are essentially 3 main entities involved. The first is the Kebele, a part of the government that actually has to process the legal documents and officially approve a child for placement. The second is the birth family member currently caring for the child. Lastly, there is the social worker through a government affiliated orphanage who is actually communicating with the birth family. The Social workers role includes, helping them complete the necessary paperwork to submit to the Kebele for relinquishment and asking all those “right questions” to be sure that the birth family is truthful about their living circumstances, age of the child, medical information, social history, etc."

"Even after that point though when AGCI or another agency is assigned a child for placement, the process is not quite done. Due to the increasing scrutiny by the US Embassy and media attention on adoptions in Ethiopia, it has become increasingly important for agencies to also follow up on the details of each case to confirm the information is true, check for any discrepancies in information, and be sure all viable facts are known and presented as accurately as possible. This means even after a child is assigned to AGCI there may still be discrepancies to correct or further information to clarify or be gathered before we can refer a child. Finally, once these facts are confirmed by our staff we are able to officially place a child with their forever family and jump into the court process. All in all, this entire abandonment or relinquishment process can be anywhere from a few days to many, many months depending on all the variables involved in each case."
Understanding the paperwork process + the process of a kid getting to Hannah's Hope really helped clear things up for me! It helped me understand why there are such lags in between referrals, and how sometimes we can jump lots of spots in one month and then drag by for a few more months. But one thing is CLEAR! The Lord is sovereign, and His timing will be PERFECT! I can't wait to see the timing of our kid's life, and how we will be able to see God's sovereign timing for this little baby to be ours.

So I will end this post with an {old} video of Hannah's Hope in Ethiopia. This is how it came about, and actually in 2010 Hannah's Hope moved to a bigger building, so this building is not the one our baby will be in. But still, you can watch the heart behind it and see how much love and care goes into those babies. I can't wait to see it in person.

FAQs: Boy or Girl??

2011-05-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

So here are some commonly asked questions:

1. Do you want a boy or girl?
Well, we have the option of being on both the boy list and girl list, or just one of them... and we are choosing to be on BOTH lists. And although the boy numbers have always been lower than the girl numbers, it is not impossible that we would get a girl (several families who were on both lists received girl referrals despite the initial differences in #s). There are some days that we prefer one gender or the other. Some days I'm like "how in the world would I be able to do African hair well with a girl?" And some days I'm "wow the weight of raising a son is huge!" There are many ways we imagine having a little Ethiopian prince or princess too!

So basically, we have no preference. And despite our insecurities in certain aspects of having a son or daughter, we would be ecstatic either way. And we're so glad that we aren't making the decisions around here, that the Lord has hand-picked the child meant for our family. And who knows, maybe #1 will need a sibling that will be the opposite gender one day? (And with adoption as an option, you can get what you "want" haha!)

2. Do you pick your child?
The way it works with our agency is that there is a waitlist, and when you get to the #1 spot (hypothetically) you get a call with information about a child. You are free to not accept the referral, however, we had to be so specific about what we were open to accept in a referral, that it is highly unlikely that we would be shown a child that we wouldn't be interest in. So we do not go through a list of children and pick which one we want, but are matched through our agency. (That is how we are doing it, there are certainly agencies -even our own- that have waiting children that can be matched).

3. Do you have baby names?
Yes and no. We have baby names that we LIKE right now but are not sold 100% on baby names for either gender. I'm also way-against "claiming" names (I'm from a big family, it is not nice to claim names) so we are choosing to keep our options private for now. Also, our child will already have an Ethiopian name, and we very well may keep that name as its first name. (And just as a warning, we can't share its Ethiopian name until we are home with the baby). We know that when we see a picture/meet our child, we may change our minds about what name fits our baby and it may very well be that the Ethiopian name is exactly what fits best. (So if you're looking to give monogrammed gifts, you may have to hold off for a long time, haha).

4. With a wait this long, why don't you just get pregnant?
Ahhh... one of my least favorite questions! First, stop and read this post about adoption vs. pregnancy. Then, realize that although we are beyond thrilled to start our family through adoption, the whole point isn't JUST to get a baby. If we were JUST trying to get a baby, then we would have tried to get pregnant first. In our case, we are adopting now because we felt we were being obedient to the scriptures and knew that this was the calling the Lord put on our hearts in this time. And another thing, our agency has a firm birth-order policy, and requires a year (I think?) between each child in your home, so if we did get pregnant now, we would (by contract that we signed) not be able to move forward with this adoption because of their policies. So pregnancy right now is NOT what we are trying to do. And honestly, right now all we can think about is a little brown-skinned baby in our home! We can't wait and are so in love already!

Any other questions?

May Official Numbers!

2011-05-13T13:40:00.000-04:00

Well, we got our email from our case manager last night and we are SO happy with our new numbers!

For a girl:

For a boy:

So in total, we have moved 59 spots for girls, and 35 spots for boys!

Just to recap what the numbers mean...The most simple way to explain the waitlist numbers is that there are 24 families waiting for a girl/ 15 families waiting for a boy ahead of us.... but this is not necessarily true, because some families (like us) are on both lists, so if they get a referral, then we move on both lists! There's not a set number of boy/girl beds, and Hannah's Hope just gets whatever babies have the most need... so there could be more boys OR girls there at any time.

I am also SOOOO EXCITED because some people I KNOW personally are headed to Ethiopia to meet their Hannah's Hope cuties in the next week! And there are at least 20 families who are going for their first trip to ET in May... and if, Lord-willing, they all pass court the first time (you go to court on the first trip after you meet your kid(s)...) then they could be bringing their kiddos HOME in June/July! How exciting that many kids are going to have forever homes SOON! (And selfishly, I'm excited because that means OUR BABY could be in one of those emptied cribs). It is crazy to think that part 2 of our wait is coming to a close (with the hardest wait to come: knowing who our child is but having to wait to bring him/her home!).

So we appreciate your prayers for these families, for the Ethiopian government as they sort out all of these cases (in a timely manner, I pray), and for the health/safety of our little one and the birth family as they are preparing for the hardest decision of their lives.

"I will proclaim the name of the LORD.
   Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
   and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
   upright and just is he."
Deuteronomy 32: 3-4

My husband, the preacher man...

2011-05-11T06:05:00.002-04:00

Will preaching in Haiti, April 2011

My husband has a lot of pastoral gifts (he is in seminary), but one of my favorite gifts that I get to benefit from is his preaching. He doesn't have as many opportunities to preach on a regular basis in our current life stage, but when he does, he thrives in the role and it is clear that it is one of his spiritual gifts.

If you would like to humor us, and have thirty minutes to spare, check out my husband's sermon on adoption (Galatians 4) from last summer at his hometown church. Click here to download & listen. I think you will learn something and be blessed!

To Celebrate Mothers Day

2011-05-08T12:34:00.001-04:00

This was my second Mother's Day since we started the adoption process. And I'd be lying if I didn't tear up a bit when they honored moms at our church service. I think this long process helps me identify with those women who ache to get pregnant but can't; waiting to be a mom when you really want to be one just stinks.

So to do something happy in honor of Mother's Day.... we registered!! Hopefully this will decrease my urges to buy baby things all the time. Will & I decided a while back that we would wait until we were in the "teens" to register (and for April we were 17 for a boy) so we did it and it was really fun! I had to watch carefully because Will got a bit scanner-happy and started scanning things like mugs and baseball cards.

Check them out and tell me what is missing (we already have a crib, pack & play, carseat and aren't planning on registering for clothes).

Target

Amazon

Happy Mother's Day to all my mom and mom-to-be friends out there!!!

We All Have Different Paths!

2011-05-06T06:19:00.008-04:00

Since we started this Ethiopian adoption, we have been asked many times "what about the kids here in the US?" or asked why we are adopting from Ethiopia? (For info regarding why Ethiopia, click here).

The truth is, there is a huge need everywhere. And I'm not just talking numbers, because even if there are X Million orphans in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Russia, China, Guatemala, Honduras, etc or however many thousands of foster kids in your state, the problem is the same: if there is one orphan, that is one orphan too many. Amen?

So before you go about discouraging anyone for whatever path they are on, why don't you ENCOURAGE them because we are all doing our best to follow after Christ... even if it means a family has all biological kids and is just being an emotional support for friends/family that are adopting/fostering. That is a huge need too, and having biological children is not "less Christian" than adopting!

So while our story may look different from yours, or in 10 years our family portrait looks very different from our friends that are walking beside us in this same process now, that is OK! Because Jesus's final charge to his disciples was NOT "adopt kids that don't look like you" or "elevate adoption above all other commands I have given you".... Guess what it was?

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. Matthew 22:37-38

So if we are elevating Christ & the gospel (through orphan care ministries, or whatever else the Lord has put on our hearts) that is the Lord's will. We can't all have the same passion or path, or else there would be huge gaps. What we have been commanded is to share the gospel (and yes, caring for the orphans and widows is part of that) and to live a life that gives God all of the glory. God isn't going to ask us at the end of our life how much trouble we were willing to go through to get our kids- he will say, do I know you? Did you take up your cross and follow me?

.......................................................................................................

And just as a friendly reminder (sorry I'm going to get off my soapbox in a second, I promise ;) ) that we can adopt, start an orphanage, create a ministry at our church, etc and it will not be worth anything if it is not tied to the gospel. There is nothing we can do that will make God love us more or less, but we are only children of God if we accept the gift of salvation. Our salvation comes to us because Christ died for our sins and now we can have a relationship with him because our sins have been justified through his death and resurrection.

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast^, but do not have love, I gain nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Nine Months

2011-04-27T06:13:00.001-04:00

Today we have been on the waitlist NINE months! I remember the day that we finally got those long-awaited starting numbers, a coworker told me "congratulations, it is like you have conceived!" because our estimated time frame was 9-12 months for a referral.

I have already posted about how adoption and pregnancy are different, and the timeline is just one aspect of that. But as we have been in the adoption process for over a year, and now hit a new milestone, I can't help but feel, well, expectant.

This whole time I have felt the joy and hope of having a baby in our home. This will be our first child, and we dream about the day we have a little one here. We're in a community where it seems that "everyone" is pregnant or has kids, and we are learning a lot from our friends about what it looks like to prioritize your marriage and set boundaries for discipline and such. I'm often chatting about nurseries and parenting books with friends.

But lately, it is really starting to sink in! We're going to have a child. We're going to have a child! We, Will and Rebekah, will be parents! It is exciting and scary at the same time. I ache for the long days/nights ahead while at the same time desire to cherish the time with just the two of us.

So, let me ask you parents out there: if you could re-live your pre-baby days, what would you do in your last few months??? I would love your suggestions and insights as we prepare our hearts and home for a growing family!

Two Questions- Same Answer

2011-04-20T07:05:00.000-04:00

Last night I spent time with a precious friend, and she asked me two questions.

1. What has been the hardest thing about the adoption so far?
2. What have you learned the most so far?

Without hesitation I knew the answer - trusting God's faithfulness. It is interesting to me that my husband claims that one of my spiritual gifts is faith, yet so often I feel like I lose perspective. During this process, I have continued to ask various questions of God and the answer is always, "I'm faithful."

In the midst of the possible Ethiopia slowdown in March, I asked WHY a million times. I prayed that God would care enough about these orphans to see them come to families. And you know what my answer was?

"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:11) and I LOVE the Luke 11:13 ending "How much more will your father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

So before any Ethiopia issue was resolved, God answered my prayer by showing me these scriptures, and teaching me that HE cares much more than I do, and he is willing to give me more of HIMSELF (holy spirit) when I ask. And that is what I need!

There have been many, many times in the last year when I have doubted God's faithfulness- will he really provide? Will things happen the way I want them to happen? So, he told us to care for the orphans, but will this adoption ever happen? And God has answered me by teaching me more about HIS character and giving me more of His Holy Spirit. He has given me scriptures and taught me to look back like in Hebrews 11, and recall not only the times that God was faithful in the scriptures, but how He has been continually faithful my entire life, and has given me much more than I ever deserved or needed. And being faithful does not mean that he is sticking to a plan that I have created, it is Him staying true to his unchanging character, and that He will offer new mercies every day, and that the gospel (saving me from life apart from him) is all that I need, every day, forever.

Although this growth has come with pain and lots of frustration, I am so thankful that the Lord has gracefully been teaching me, despite my stubbornness and doubts. So when my husband looks at me and says I am a woman of faith, I clearly cannot credit that to myself- it has all been given to me.

"Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised." Romans 4:20-21

Yardsale for Friends in Opelika!

2011-04-18T11:03:00.000-04:00

Some sweet friends of ours from my hometown, Opelika AL are having a yardsale Saturday! This is going to be a BIG yard sale with a whole lot of good things that you don't want to miss out on!

The yard sale will help with their Ugandan adoption as they are hoping to bring home a son or daughter soon! Sarah and Daniel Taylor (the parents) have an incredible heart for orphan care and both work for an adoption agency in the south. They are hoping to make the orphan statistics "one less" and your purchases Saturday can be a part of God's provision for this dream!

Saturday, April 23 at 7:00am
Location: 414 N. 10th St. Opelika, AL

If you can't stop by, please pray for the yard sale- for good weather, good conversations with shoppers, and for the Lord to bless their fund raising to bring home a sweet baby from Uganda! Please spread the word as well!

April Official Numbers!

2011-04-13T06:17:00.000-04:00

Well, this month marks 9 months of officially waiting for a referral (got on the waitlist on July 27)... which means if the projected 9-12 month wait estimate for a referral is true, we are getting pretty close to seeing a baby's face! :)

Honestly, I go back and forth. On the one hand, I am trying to give myself a reality check that with the proposed Ethiopia slowdowns we are probably going to see some delays soon so I should prepare my heart for more of a wait.

But on the flip side, I'm praying bold prayers. Yes, I want Ethiopian adoptions to be ethical and thoroughly investigated. But I also think kids should be raised in homes and not institutions. So I am boldly praying that we would have a baby by Christmas. Join with me, eh? Because if we have a baby by Christmas, that means LOTS of babies will be home by then, and that means this process is moving along. So pray boldly with me. I also know that the later in the summer we get a referral, the more likely we will get caught up in court closure (courts close August & September for the rainy season in Ethiopia). I know 100% that God's timing is perfect and we will be able to see His sovereign hand in the details of our timeline.

So.... here are our April numbers!!!

For a girl:

For a boy:

That means that at #29 for a girl, we have moved a total of 55 spots for girls! At #17, we have moved a number of 34 spots for boys! Who knows, this might be a close race for the number one spot!

Again, we don't hold too tightly to these numbers because adoption certainly has an "ebb and flow" and there may be weeks with no referrals, and there may be weeks with lots of them! So who knows when we will become parents? I pray, pray, pray it is this year.

It Is MORE Than What It Seems!

2011-04-07T13:39:00.000-04:00

I have mentioned before, but it is worth mentioning again! Big House, in Alabama, is trying to collect new swimsuits and new towels for Alabama's Foster Children... All 6000 of them! They will also attempt to embroider each child's name on their towel... This is no small feat. Please read below and pray and consider being involved!!!!!!!

"I have a plea to make with you. If you are my friend... if you are my family member... if you love me, like me, or can tolerate me at all, please donate to this drive for me... but not just for me... for the little boy or girl who is now in foster care because of physical abuse. Or the teen girl who is living with a foster family b/c her mom chose her abusive boyfriend over her own daughter. Or the drug baby that came home from the hospital and into foster care. These kids have SEEN IT ALL. They have experienced things many of us can't imagine. They have truly loved and lost... They have seen parents choose men, women, drugs, alcohol, and deviant lifestyles over them. Many of them come into care with next to nothing- I mean the clothes on their backs- and may never have much that is truly "theirs"... So BigHouse wants to give a small gift that WILL make a big difference! How do we know- we have done this drive for two years and have seen kids say "wow, this is really just for me"... or "Look- it has MY name on it"... these simple statements with the light in their eyes is ALL IT TAKES to know that it's worth the work and stress and begging to do this drive again. I know the state of Alabama has it in us to set the precedent for how we love our kids in foster care- will you help me??

To get involved, please donate a swimsuit or towel or money. That simple. You can go to walmart or target or oldnavy or some other store and pick out the suit and towel yourself... or you can go online and send money so we can purchase what is needed. It doesn't matter to me, but please get involved.

If you don't know any foster children personally, you may wonder "Why should this matter to me?" or "How does their life really affect mine?". Well, these kids go to school with your kids. They will grow up to be your neighbor, your coworker, your community member. Let's make a difference in their life NOW so that they can be healthy members of society later. Our swimsuit and towel drive is a small and easy start!!

So go to the bighouse website and help us! Or email Micah at bighousefoundation@hotmail.com to volunteer to be an embroiderer or drop off location!

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!"

(THANKS Micah for letting me copy your post to help spread the word! Please, fellow bloggers, consider posting this to your blogs too!)

Also I titled this "It is more than what it seems" because, just as Micah wrote, this is much more than just a new swimsuit or towel, this is a gift for a foster child to know that they are loved and thought of. This gift may be what softens their hearts for the gospel!!! For more information on Big House & the Swimsuit/Towel Drive, go to their website here.

Swimsuits and Towels

2011-04-01T10:08:00.000-04:00

Hey friends, and welcome APRIL! One month closer to our baby! (and this date last year we formally submitted our application to AGCI! Yes, we had to wait until my 23rd birthday to submit so we did it that day! Best present ever!)

A few weeks ago I posted about Big House in Alabama and their current drive for swimsuits and towels for foster kids in Alabama. This will be a tremendous blessing to the children there and the foster families. Will you consider being a part of it, even if you don't live in AL? Even if you can't swing $25, ANY donation will be helpful. Our friends at BH compiled a list of the counties with the drop-off locations, & the number of swimsuits & towels needed and you can read that HERE on their website. Just to keep in perspective, this is the current need:

Sizes Needed

Girls:		Boys:
6 month	27	6 month	25
12 month	44	12 month	41
18 month	36	18 month	51
24 month	24	24 month	52
2T	48	2T	76
3T	68	3T	83
4T	86	4T	82
5T	55	5T	85
Child 6/8 Small	207	Child 6/8 Small	187
Child 10/12 Medium	154	Child 10/12 Medium	203
Child 14/16 Large	87	Child 14/16 Large	129
Child 18+ Xlarge	17	Child 18+ Xlarge	31
Adult 2/4 Small	108	Adult 28/30 Small	112
Adult 6/8 Medium	170	Adult 32/34 Medium	274
Adult 10/12 Large	174	Adult 36/38 Large	166
Adult 14/16 Xlarge	170	Adult 40 Xlarge	55

For more information on the swimsuit/towel drive:

BigHouse Statewide Swimsuit and Towel Drive 2011

What? A drive to collect NEW Swimsuits and New Beach Towels for Children in Foster Care across the state.

When? Collections and monogramming will be held throughout the month of April across the state. The swimsuits will be packaged at our Packing Party on May 14^th, and then sent to each county’s DHR for pick-up. The Packing Party will be held at Trussville First United Methodist Church.

Who? We will be serving our children in the state foster care system. For various reasons, these children have been placed temporarily with a foster family until a return to their family or an adoption is possible.

Why? In Alabama, Foster Parents receive $8-$14 a day to provide food, shelter, school supplies, hygiene products, clothes, toys, entertainment, and transportation to meetings, therapy sessions, and parental visits. The stipend they receive simply does not cover everything. One simple, basic necessity we feel every child should have is a new swimsuit; a new beach towel with their name monogrammed on it is a cherry on top! This is not much, but it is a small gesture to show these children someone cares about them, is thinking of them, and that because God loved us first, we are sharing His love with them.

How? We need YOU to help us make our goal of collecting 6,000 swimsuits and towels a reality. Your church can serve as a donation site, your family can donate items, your friends can collect money and make a monetary donation, etc. Simply purchase a swimsuit or beach towel or both, and take them to a designated drop off station. If you would like to make a monetary donation online, please go here. For $25, you can provide a swimsuit and towel to a child in Alabama. If you know a person or a company who can monogram towels, please contact us.

BigHouse Foundation

(334) 363-2634

bighousefoundation@hotmail.com

March Official Numbers & Answer to a Question

2011-03-18T10:05:00.000-04:00

Aside from the great report from our agency yesterday, we are also celebrating our low March numbers!

This month, for a girl we are officially:

(War Eagle, # 34 Bo Jackson!)

and for a boy we are officially:

(Welcome baseball season, Go Braves!)

So in total we have moved 50 spots for girls since getting on the waitlist, and 29 spots for boys since getting on the waitlist. WOW!

And the fun thing is we are unofficially lower than that! Yippee! Can't wait to see our APRIL numbers! But I don't want to get ahead of the Lord's timing, either. He is teaching us new things every day of this journey!

A few people have asked us "where we are" with fundraising/money. Honestly, a lot of our local friends are in the paperwork phase of the adoption, so we don't really want to take away from their fundraising right now. Another thing is, we have been blessed with extra time (when we started this process last March, we thought we'd have a baby home by now) so we are doing A LOT of saving and the Lord has given me many opportunities to make money sewing. It has been so encouraging to see the Lord bless our little and make it a lot. Humbling, for sure!

So while we do not have what is needed to pay for the rest of our adoption costs (which will come when we get a referral and then travel twice) we are doing our best to save and make money in addition to our income that goes in our adoption fund. I have also gotten pretty "into" couponing and we are seeing the fruit of that time spent in our budget, and thus, savings! And if we don't have what we need to pay the bills in the end- we will look into no-interest adoption loans and we are CONFIDENT the Lord will provide, as He has done that so far!

BUT if you are interested in supporting us as we save for the approaching referral fees/travel, there are two ways you can help us right now (well, three if you include the donate button- but these two ways I'm about to mention allow you to receive a tangible gift that you can think of our baby when you enjoy them!).

1. Our etsy shop The name is "Craft 4 Adoption" because that is the purpose of it :) You can also find it on facebook and "like" it!

2. Just Love Coffee. We loooove this coffee. And it is fair trade! People in my office have started buying it regularly and I was told by a coworker that even after we bring home our baby they will still buy it because it is that good! Every item bought from our "shop" online - we get some profit! Woo hoo! Visit our store here: www.justlovecoffee.com/themcgees

THANK YOU for praying with us during this exciting, crazy, humbling journey.

Praise the Lord!

2011-03-17T14:47:00.000-04:00

We just received a very encouraging email from our agency (THAT WE LOVE! Seriously if you are on the fence- AGCI is amazing!). I chatted with Will a few minutes after reading it and although we were praising the Lord for answering our prayers, we also praise Him for doing a renewal in our hearts BEFORE hearing this news.

You see, last week I was walking in a fog, grieving the timeline that I thought we should have. This week the Lord has shown me grace in allowing me to see that HE HAS BEEN FAITHFUL this WHOLE time, amidst all ups and downs, and I must choose to be a woman of joy even if I am not happy with my circumstances. This week I've had much deeper peace knowing that God's plan is best! And then we just got this email, and I'm like "Thank you Lord, I don't even deserve this goodness!"

So here is the latest update from our agency:

Ethiopia Program Update

Hello Families,

Happy St. Patricks' Day! We hope this email finds you well and finding rest in God’s peace and plans for your family and your Ethiopia adoption journey!

As you know, over the past week AGCI has been working in collaboration with Joint Council, other licensed Adoption Service Providers in Ethiopia and the US Department of State to get clarity on the proposed changes instigated by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs that would have drastically reduced the number of adoptions processed by their office.

We have spent the entirety of this week and last connecting with our own Foreign Staff, participating in caucus calls led by Joint Council and the US Department of State, and independently collaborating with other Adoption Service Providers to get clear and accurate information concerning this matter. Your grace and patience has been so appreciated during this time!

What we know as facts are:

MOWA posted a notice indicating as of March 10th they would be reducing the number of adoptions processed through their office to 5 cases a day.

Within days of this announcement, the director of MOWA and several other staff members from the ministry have been terminated.

Today we want to update you on the feedback we received yesterday from our foreign staff in Ethiopia, which was confirmed in a discussion with our adoption colleagues in a Joint Council caucus call later in the day.

At this time, all Foreign Staff on the ground in Ethiopia are reporting that MOWA has completed their staffing changes and are now currently working at full capacity to complete those adoption cases currently re-scheduled or assigned a court appointment through the courts of Addis Ababa. Our staff believe this to be around 800 cases they are working at full force to complete with no restrictions on the number of cases processed each day. This is great news! We are thrilled to hear these drastic changes do not seem to be going into full effect.

We are also pleased to report that for new cases moving forward; it appears the original changes proposed by MOWA will not be implemented to the degree of 5 cases a day. At this time it is unknown whether or not MOWA will issue a formal statement regarding how they will process cases in the future, but from all discussions it will not be a drastic decrease from before. Through the continued work, meetings, and advocacy of many Foreign Staff members in Ethiopia, it appears any future changes within the case processing for MOWA will avoid sweeping and disproportionate alterations to the number of cases processed each day. Rather, the hope is that MOWA, Joint Council, Adoption Service Providers, the US Department of State and other NGO organizations can come together to support the government of Ethiopia in strengthening the process for ethical adoptions to continue while also improving the general social structures to assist with family preservation in Ethiopia. This plan was acknowledged in the recent posting by the US State Department this morning at http://adoption.state.gov/news/ethiopia.html. We understand the US Department of State cannot issue a formal statement without MOWA issuing a retraction. Based on the information we are receiving, MOWA is concentrating on processing the current adoptions and the new staff is not focused on numbers, but doing their jobs.

AGCI and our trusted colleagues look forward to collaborating to ensure adoptions move forward with the highest level of transparency possible. It is our commitment to carefully, ethically, and mindfully complete the adoption process on every level for orphaned children. Our hope is that as we do this in collaboration with other licensed agencies, we can also help to eliminate future concerns by MOWA and continue to build trust between their office and the adoption community at large.

Despite all this talk and discussion about proposed changes, we want to share with you some highlights from just the past two weeks in our program. Even in the midst of all these proposed changes we have seen things move in positive directions:

7 children were referred to their forever families (wait time for a referral for our most recently placed families was approximately 10 months for an infant boy and for an infant girl)
9 families and children were issued their first official court date
3 families and children were approved at a rescheduled court appointment
1 family and child was approved on their first scheduled court appointment
9 families and 10 children were cleared by the US Embassy and invited to travel to Ethiopia to complete their final immigration visa appointment and bring their children.
2 children have returned home with their forever families.

As you can see from above, our attention over the past week and this week has been not only on gathering information on this issue but also on processing adoptions for many of the children at Hannah’s Hope.

We want to encourage you all and to share that Ethiopia is still an active adoption program! We are so blessed to be looking back at all these wonderful moments and see God’s hand at work in the stories and lives of these children He loves. Thank you for your continued passion and dedication. We look forward to all the wonderful moments yet to come as we continue to serve in Ethiopia!

No Passive Adoptions

2011-03-15T12:11:00.000-04:00

I am about to let you in on a big secret.

When we started this process last March, I thought to myself that I wouldn't let myself get that emotionally invested, in case this whole adoption thing didn't pan out. I didn't want to be vulnerable or allow myself to be hurt or disappointed.

Let me just tell you, that didn't last.

I think any adoptive parent will testify that there are no passive adoptions. You can't really half-heartedly spend hours of time on education, paperwork, or homestudies, or be willing to spend the thousands of dollars it takes to bring home a baby, if you're not "in it to win it" and in love with the baby you will bring into your family. Sure, we don't know who our baby is yet, but let me tell you - that baby is prayed over and loved.

The reason I bring this up, is because God didn't passively adopt His children. He didn't go through the sacrifice of sending his only son, Jesus, to die on our behalf because he was semi-interested in us, or because He thought it would be a "good thing" to save people from life apart from Him. He adopts His children because He loves them.

Even though this road can be frustrating and very vulnerable at times (imagine notarizing all your private information, making lots of copies of it, and sending it to multiple people), it is worth it. We haven't even met our baby and we know that this journey is worth it.

Recently I was chatting with a friend about the possibly longer wait, and she asked why didn't we just try to get pregnant now. Well, although a pregnancy could always happen (unplanned, that is) we are "all in" for this adoption. Our hearts are set and the Lord has continually affirmed this path for us. We pray for the brown-skinned baby that we hope to bring home.

And one thing that has continually been affirmed in my heart in the last year is that the Lord is so faithful. Even when I doubt and ask how things can come to be, He already has the details set before us. We are choosing to walk forward in faith that no matter what happens next, the Lord will lead us as He has already done.

The Latest

2011-03-11T15:01:00.001-05:00

Here is what we received from our agency just now:

US Department of State Ethiopia Adoptions Conference Call Update
Good morning families! What a week this has been for all of us! Thank you so much for your commitment to getting the word out about the petition for the children of Ethiopia these past few days! We are hopeful that the voices of these precious children will be heard.

As we had shared in previous communications, there was a conference call that we participated in this morning with the US Department of State to discuss the changes the Ministry of Women’s, Children’s and Youth Affairs (MOWA) announced. Not all Adoption Service Providers (ASPs) were able to join the call due to the number of adoptive parents on the line. According to Joint Council, it was understood that this conference call would be geared towards informing ASPs specifically about these changes and how the US government would react. Unfortunately, the call ended early and several ASPs were not able to address more detailed questions geared towards the ramifications of these changes for the program as a whole. While we admire adoptive families’ desires to be a part of these discussions, we are looking forward to opportunities to connect more exclusively and candidly as a professional network with the US Department of State and Joint Council as they learn about these details in the coming weeks. This will allow us to better communicate with you factual information about how this impacts your family’s adoption more specifically while also being mindful of Ethiopian adoptions as a whole. Again, though, as evidenced by the feedback in this call by the US Department of State, at this time there is little to no information that is being disclosed. Here is what we did learn:

Although this change has been supposedly confirmed to have gone into effect on March 10, 2011, there is no information available on what the process could look like moving forward, what cases it impacts, and if and for how long it will remain in effect.

It was mentioned that cases already registered with the Ethiopian court could possibly experience up to an estimated 12 month delay. It was made very clear by the US Department of State that this was dependent on a number of factors, all of which are yet to be determined, i.e. how many cases are registered, what cases this change will impact, if this change continues to be in effect, etc.

There is a vast amount of rumors going around related to this change, and none of them are able to be confirmed at this point.

The head of MOWA has been terminated, effective next week, for unknown reasons.
We are hearing that there will be meetings between the US Department of State, US Embassy, MOWA, network of ASP Foreign Service Providers, and Ethiopian government offices during the next week. We believe these meetings will begin on Monday, March 14th; however, there is no way to know if there will be concrete solutions that develop.

At this point, we are all still in a waiting stage to see how this change will be implemented. We have greatly appreciated your prayers and understanding as we have all tried to grasp this announcement. As we continue to pursue a better understanding, we encourage you to be wary of rumors that you hear about this change and know that we will continue to keep you up to date on the information we receive. Along with being updated through our office, you can also continue to stay informed by monitoring Joint Council’s website at http://www.jointcouncil.org/.

We continue to do our best in addressing your questions and concerns as quickly as possible and appreciate your patience. Our primary goal remains to facilitate the progress of your adoptions, which continues to show movement on a daily basis. Despite all of this uncertainty, we hope you go into this weekend feeling hopeful and staying focused on preparing your hearts for the road ahead.

The Joint Council also posted notes from the conference call:

Notes from Dept of State Ethiopia Call

Following are our notes from the Department of State Office of Children’s Issues conference call regarding Ethiopian adoptions. These notes do not represent nor are they in any way attributable to the Department of State or US Citizenship and Immigration Services. We are providing the notes with respect to those adoption service providers who could not participate in the conference.
We extend our thanks to the Department of State for conducting the conference call and to US Citizenship and Immigration Services for their participation and contributions.

The Department of State is Actively Involved
•    The Ethiopian Ministry of Women’s, Children’s and Youth Affairs announced a reduction in the processing of intercountry adoption cases from 50 per day to 5 per day, effective March 10, 2011.
•    The Department of State is actively involved in discussions with the Government of Ethiopia, other governments and stakeholders.
•    A coalition of countries is preparing a proposal to assist the Ministry increase its capacity.
•    Embassy suggested that children with special need’s cases should not be delayed.
•    The US Embassy officials have a scheduled meeting with the Ministry of Women’s, Children’s and Youth Affairs for Monday, March 14, 2011.
•    There are areas of concern related to intercountry adoption, however the reduction is disproportionate.

Adoption Cases
•    Currently there are no implementation guidelines for in-process cases.
•    For adoption cases registered with the Ethiopian court, the best estimate is a one-year delay.
•    The staff change at the Ministry of Women’s, Children’s and Youth Affairs has been confirmed as taking effect the week of March 13, 2011. The impact this will have on adoption cases is not known.
•    It is estimated that between 800-1,000 adoption cases are currently on the docket of Ethiopian courts.

At this point we don't know how this will affect us. Angela just posted here on how she thinks it may play out. We'll see.

Three Fun Things

2011-03-11T13:03:00.001-05:00

Let's get distracted a bit, eh?

1. I won something! Yes, a giveaway at my bff Leigh's blog. She promises she didn't rig it. :) I won a fun plaque from "Like a Mighty River" etsy store. So fun! Also, you can buy some of the plaques on Leigh's blog right now and SHE gets the profit because the etsy seller is so generous! Leigh has a 4 1/2 year old son in Ethiopia right now (and gets to meet him for her court trip in May- yay!).

2. Tonight is the Adoption Concert for our friends, the Coalsons! It is in Raleigh and should be a blast. Check out details here.

3. I updated the etsy shop with some fun Africa burp cloths! Sewing is a stress-reliever, and I sewed a lot this week, haha.

I'll update on the whole Ethiopia situation when we hear news. Thank you for praying and passing along the petition information.

Update

2011-03-10T08:58:00.001-05:00

THANK YOU to all of you who have signed the petition. If you haven't, go ahead and do it- it takes about 30 seconds! http://www.gopetition.com/petition/43714.html

Updated to Add: There is also a facebook event that a few of us created yesterday. It is the perfect way to invite all of your "friends" on facebook! The event is called 'Emergency Campaign for Ethiopian Children'- and you can easily invite all of your friends on facebook if you do this:
To invite all your friends to the event (rather than selecting them all)..

-Click 'Select Guests to Invite'
Put this code in the URL and hit enter:
...
javascript:elms=document.getElementById('friends').getElementsByTagName('li');for(var fid in elms){if(typeof elms[fid] === 'object'){fs.click(elms[fid]);}}

It may take a minute to load depending on the size of your friend list. Click Send.
All your friends were just invited!

Here is an update from our agency:

Dear Families,
We know that there has been so much communication from our office regarding this petition! Right now though, we want to THANK YOU for your support and your efforts in sharing about this cause. As of just minutes ago there were just over 16,000 signatures. That is a huge increase from this morning! We believe that, with all of our continued efforts, this will only continue to build momentum as we finish out the week.
There are a couple other things that we wanted to share with you. Mostly this has all come to us by way of posts through the JCICS.

• First of all, the Department of State (DOS) has posted on their website about this proposal by MOWA. As of right now the first step is for the DOS to host a caucus call this Friday. This call will be a great opportunity for all non-government organizations, adoption service providers and other international advocacy organizations to connect and talk about where to go from here. Historically, these calls have been very positive and always showing that there is an incredible united front working on the behalf of the children. We will all be participating in this call and would appreciate your prayers for wisdom for all of these leaders.

• The JCICS continues to be involved with this process and will continue to keep us updated. Below is a recent post from Tom DiFilipo, the Executive Director. He, along with his team, are continuing in the efforts to reach out to MOWA and share their concerns if this plan is to go through. Please be encouraged though—this team is very good at what they do and we will continue to keep you posted on their progress.
Thank you again! We have been blown away by your support and commitment during this time.

Post from Tom DiFilipo, Executive Director of JCICS
Date March 9, 2011
Regarding Ethiopia
Dear Colleagues,
In only 24-hours, over 11,000 concerned individuals have joined our Emergency Campaign for Ethiopian Children by signing our petition. We extend our thanks to all of our members who have supported this initiative by signing the petition and distributing the campaign information.
Today, we have continued our communication with the Ethiopian Government and respectfully brought the outpouring of concern to them. We believe that there may have been positive developments and will provide further updates as information is confirmed.
Thank you again for your continued support.
Best Wishes,
Tom DiFilipo

(Bekah again:)
We can't rave enough about AGCI. We are so thankful that we are contracted with them and for the support they give their families.

Also, despite this uncertain time we are once again seeing how faithful God is. Thank you for praying! Several court dates and referrals went out yesterday! God is so good. Will and I were also encouraged last night at our church-wide prayer night for Ash Wednesday. Thanks to those of you who prayed with us and for putting our hearts in perspective. God is sovereign! We are trusting that this is in His plan for our family- whatever the outcome is.

Call for Action

2011-03-08T16:04:00.000-05:00

Those that are deeply connected to Ethiopian adoptions have heard this rumor already. I'm copying and pasting from the Joint Council for International Children's Services:

Post from Tom DiFilipo, Executive Director of JCICS
Dear Colleagues,
Attached is a statement by Joint Council on the recent announcement by the Ethiopian Ministry of Women’s, Children’s and Youth Affairs plan to reduce intercountry adoption by 90%. The text of our statement is also included below.
We are also preparing an advocacy, education and awareness campaign which will launch on the morning of Wednesday, March 9th. Details will be provided to you tomorrow, Tuesday, March 8th.
We hope you will join us in advocating for the continuation of intercountry adoption in Ethiopia.
Best Wishes,
Tom DiFilipo
March 7, 2011

Statement on the Pending Reduction of Intercountry Adoption in Ethiopia
Last week the Ethiopian Ministry of Women’s, Children’s and Youth Affairs announced their intention to reduce intercountry adoptions by 90% beginning March 10, 2011. The Ministry’s plan for a dramatic reduction is apparently based on two primary issues; 1) the assumption that corruption in intercountry adoption is systemic and rampant and 2) the Ministry’s resources should be focused on the children for whom intercountry adoption is not an option. Without further announcements by the Government of Ethiopia, it is our understanding that the Ministry’s plan will be initiated this week.
The Ministry’s plan is a tragic, unnecessary and disproportionate reaction to concerns of isolated abuses in the adoption process and fails to reflect the overwhelmingly positive, ethical and legal services provided to children and families through intercountry adoption. Rather than eliminate the right of Ethiopian children to a permanent family, we encourage the Ministry to accept the partnerships offered by governments, NGOs, and foundations. Such partnerships could increase the Ministry’s capacity to regulate service providers and further ensure ethical adoptions.

The Ministry’s plan, which calls for the processing of only five adoption cases per work day, will result not only in systemic and lasting damage to a large sector of social services, but will have an immediate impact on the lives and futures of children. Moving from over 4,000 adoptions per year to less than 500 will result in thousands of children languishing in under-regulated and poorly resourced institutions for years. For those children who are currently institutionalized and legally available for adoption, the Ministry’s plan will increase their time languishing in institutions for up to 7-years.

Joint Council respectfully urges the Ministry of Women’s, Children’s and Youth Affairs to reconsider their plan and to partner with governments, NGOs and foundations to achieve their goals and avoid the coming tragedy for children and families.

HOW YOU CAN HELP!!!!!!!!
Click here to go to their website which I have cut and pasted below:

1) Sign the petition to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi – and pass it on!

2) Have you adopted from Ethiopia? Please send us up to 3 photos and 50 words or less with what you would like the Ministry to know about your child – we’ll compile the information and send a book to the Ministry of Woman’s, Children’s and Youth Affairs. Send your photos and stories to advocate@jointcouncil.org by Sunday, March 12, 2011 to be included. Please note that sending photos and stories gives Joint Council unrestricted right to use the information you provide.

3) Share…Please send this Call to Action to family members, other adoptive parents, and everyone you know! Post, forward and share your adoption stories via Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. Make sure you include us in your posts so we can all hear your stories! Here’s links to our pages: Facebook, Twitter and our blog.

4) Stay informed: Get up-to-date information regarding the situation in Ethiopia by signing up to receive information from us: click here to do so, make sure you choose “country and issues specific information” and “Ethiopia.” And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and our blog

5) Help ensure our advocacy can continue: Joint Council is a non-profit and receives no government funding. Please join us in ensuring more children live in safe, permanent and loving families. Donate today!

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!!
As you can imagine this is a huge blow. It is not 100% at this point so please pray with us for the children that could be affected. This is devastating news if this is to come about. We don't even know what this would mean for our adoption process.

Thank you for your support. PLEASE forward this post on, tweet it, facebook it, whatever you can.

One Year In

2011-03-07T06:32:00.131-05:00

One year ago today, we said yes. We didn't know everything we were saying yes to at that point, but we knew that God was preparing a way for us to adopt a child from Ethiopia, and we didn't want to miss out on the great things the Lord was doing.

On the surface, it is easy to see the blessings & lessons that we said yes to. Care to dive deeper, though?

When we said YES to adoption, we said YES to:

1. Unending Examples of the Lord's Faithfulness. There have been MANY times in this past year where things didn't add up on paper, yet the Lord provided, or we questioned how things were going to fall in place, and we saw the Lord's sovereignty. Who makes $4,000 in yard sales? We did. Even in my heart- I have seen the Lord reassure me of who HE IS and how this adoption is just one tiny aspect of how good He is to us. We have seen the Lord multiply our efforts to make money for this adoption, and bless us in many ways. We have seen specific answers to prayer, and we hope that the way we receive these gifts honors God.

2. Deep Adoption Community. In addition to the growing adoption community at our church, I have followed the journeys of many families through blogs, and also had the opportunity to meet some incredible women at Created for Care. These aren't just invisible friends, these are real friends that I have cried and rejoiced with. And this is only the beginning of our journey! I can think of several adoptive mamas who are now my best friends - I could have missed those friendships if we hadn't had this connection. And the best part? We don't even have our baby yet- so these relationships will become even more important (and new) when we are doing play dates and praying together in that stage of life. Bring it!

3. Easy Gospel Opportunities. This has to be one of the sweetest perks of adopting. Almost everyone who finds out that we are adopting (and adopting our first child) want to know why. We can easily share the gospel and how we are adopted as sons through the inheritance we have been given in Christ. Because Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice (himself on the cross), our sins have been atoned for and we can be children of God if we believe. Even though we were sinful, didn't deserve to be saved, and had no hope to save ourselves, Christ made the way for us to be heirs in God's kingdom. Similarly, we have the opportunity to give a child a home- to bring home a child that would otherwise have no hope and raise them in a home that will teach the good news of Christ.

4. Trials and Tests that Refine Our Faith. If we said that this year was easy, we'd be lying. People say that when you choose to follow the Lord, Satan gets really angry, and its true. We've had people say some pretty rude things, and there have been times this past year that it seems like nothing is working in our favor. Even on days when it seems like it would have just been easier to get pregnant, we know that God is refining us and giving us the character that comes through perseverance. I have had to learn submission that is NOT easy, but so good, and learn how to trust that God is in control, even when numbers don't add up or it seems like we're never going to get our baby home.

5. Opened Eyes to the Broken and Lonely. While we are not dealing with the healing process of our baby yet, and we don't know what our baby's story will be - we realize that our baby will have had immense loss by the time we meet him/her. And what is worse, there are so many stories of kids that have similar losses that never have the hope that our baby does. There are kids who do grow up without moms, dads, toys, organized sports, education, family vacations, new clothes, doctor visits, etc. There are kids who won't ever hear "I love you" or taught that Jesus loved them enough to die for them. And adopting one healthy baby isn't going to solve that problem. Yes, it is 147 million orphans minus one, but what about the rest? We don't know yet what God will call us to next, or how our adoption process can make a bigger impact on the kingdom of God, than just "minus one." The minus one is a good thing, but what about those other kids? How can I feel like such a hero when there are so many others that need the gospel too? When we started the process one year ago we certainly didn't know that our eyes would be opened to more than just one baby getting a home. Not that we know what that means yet!

6. Being A Part of the Bigger Picture. This may seem like the flip side of #5... Whether it has been encouraging other families to go ahead and adopt/foster now, or this little blog helping others see the gospel through this adoption process, or other families seeing that we (a young seminary family) can adopt (and if God is faithful to us surely he will be faithful again!)- we're a part of something bigger than just one baby getting a home. We would have missed that had we not said yes to adoption.

7. Allowing the Gospel to be A Part of our Daily Life. Not that you have to adopt to do this... but we are able to see that our daily sacrifices (living frugally, saving, etc) are on behalf of an orphan finding hope in Christ. Hi, gospel. We're seeing that we must daily trade in our expectations, control, desires- and receive blessings that are even better than what we were holding tight to in the first place.

8. Adoption Being Natural. Now that we are in the process we are hearing about all sorts of people that are adopting or have adopted. But it is even more fun to hear about family members talking about adopting one day, or to imagine a colorful family portrait and go- yes, that is natural. For us, it was a natural decision to see the need for adoptive families, have the calling from the Lord, and to move forward. It is amazing to see other families come to the same conclusion about adoption/foster care, and go "this makes sense" to move forward with these processes. I love that when we think ahead 10 years, we imagine more adopted kids and can't even guess at what our Christmas card will look like, because that is natural and right.

And good things to come:
9. The joy/trials of parenthood. Ahh we can't wait! We know we will need much grace as we learn how to be parents, but already I'm overwhelmed by the blessing of being charged with raising our future children to know and love God. Who am I to receive such a gift?

10. Visiting Ethiopia twice. What a blessing to go overseas together, celebrate another culture, and learn about the beautiful country that our child came from.

I could go on. God has been so good. We had no clue that when we said YES to adoption that we would get so many more blessings. So what is God asking you to say YES to?

What's Up & Baby Emails

2011-03-03T10:08:00.000-05:00

Hey blogfriends, how is it going?

Some people have asked us how things are going, when we'll get our baby, when we can expect a referral, and what is going on with the process... well, we really have nothing to report. We are sitting on the waitlist, and it is nearly impossible to guess the timing of our referral and when we will have our baby home. Our agency gives the estimate of 9-12 months on the waitlist until we can expect a referral, and we got on the waitlist on July 27... so we may get a referral between May and July? Who knows. One certainty is that NOTHING is set in stone with international adoption and that there can be no expectations of timing. Everything, everything is out of our hands. There is nothing left for us to do except for wait. Well, educate ourselves, plan for the baby, and pray a whole lot.

Anyways, want to hear a funny story? Well, last year right after we started the process I decided to sign up for a bunch of baby emails. Like discounts for diapers/formula, coupon websites and other baby sites. Well, there wasn't ever an option for "adopting" so I had to pick a fake due date. At the time the farthest out I could go was October, so I started getting emails about how far along I was in my pregnancy, what to expect with my development, etc. Well now that my fake baby is born, I have gotten 4 cans of free formula (all expiring in 2012, so I should be safe to keep it) and continue to get email updates about what my fake baby should be doing and how I need to take a break and take care of myself, haha. I think it is about time for me to be fake pregnant with fake baby #2 so I can get some more free formula. What do you think? What should my fake due date be this time?? (wink). It's not reallllly cheating the system because our REAL baby, or REAL babies in Ethiopia will get the perks.....

The good thing about having a fake baby is that I recently had two $5 off coupons of Similac formula, and when I was at CVS the other day their soy formula was $5.70 on sale- so I bought two big things of soy formula for less than $2! Score! I'm just starting to get into buying that kind of stuff for the baby (and I think I'm going to use cloth diapers so I'm not really stocking up on diapers unless I'm giving them for baby gifts). And anything that I buy that I won't use I can always donate to Hannah's Hope when we go. Oh, and if you're wondering why I got soy formula- I have picked up from listserve/blogstalking that a lot of Ethiopian babies are lactose intolerant or need soy/sensitive formula. Also, soy formula is very difficult/expensive to get in ET so it is one of the big needs for donations.

So thats our non-update update. We've had a pretty eventful 2011 so far but not much is happening on the adoption front. Thanks so much for praying alongside of us and for sharing in our joy and anticipation.

Love, Bekah

Coffee Night Tuesday!

2011-02-23T06:57:00.007-05:00

Great news!

"There is another Orphan Care Ladies' Coffee Night scheduled for next Tuesday, March 1, at 7:00 in Suite 110 at Summit Church- Brier Creek campus (near Raleigh/Durham). It's a great opportunity to get to know other women who are passionate about orphan care and encourage one another. If you are interested in adoption, foster care or another area of orphan care but have questions, it's also a great opportunity to get some of those answered."

Please RSVP to SummitOrphanCare@gmail.com.

I hope to see you there :) Let me know if you need directions! Even if you aren't a Summit member, this will be a great way to meet local women who are like-minded.

Shop Talk

2011-02-21T19:37:00.000-05:00

My Etsy Shop is slowly being updated!! Keep checking back for new cute things.

Click the link here.

Oh, and why is everything $10, you say? Well, for one- it is just easier for me. Two- some people would consider donating $10 anyways (it seems like we can waste $10 easily) so why not get something cute for not a lot of money???

Also, I'm NOT doing custom orders right now. I have a very large custom order that I'm about to get started on (can't wait to show the results) so for now, if I'm making something and willing to sell it, check for it on the etsy shop. Thanks for understanding!!!

And other sewing- related news, I have officially started on baby bedding. And it is amazing. So fun, so cute. I will post pictures when it starts coming together.

THANK YOU for your support and encouragement. Knowing that each little project brings us closer to our baby means the world.

Baby 'A'

2011-02-19T06:42:00.000-05:00

My friend Leigh received her referral last week for a 4 year old boy (baby "A") from Ethiopia, and while they are beyond excited at the surprise timing of this great news, they are in a position in which they are trusting the Lord to provide financially to move on.

"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:57-58)"

We are confident that the Lord will bring glory to Himself in the next few days as He miraculously provides all that Leigh & Gray need to move forward with this adoption. I cannot wait to see how it comes about!

Check this post to see some of the neat things Leigh has for sale. (I have one of her t-shirts and they are SUPER cute!)

Will you join with us in praying for the Lord's glory to come about through providing all that is needed for this adoption? Will you consider partnering with their family to bring home their son?

Created For Care Recap

2011-02-17T10:37:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I'm probably the last one to do a recap- sorry! Created for Care was such an amazing, amazing weekend. Very quickly into the weekend I was overwhelmed that 250 women were connected not just because of their heart for the orphan, but because of our belief in Christ and salvation in Him. It was amazing.

The speakers were rejuvenating, encouraging, informative, and hopeful. Even those that shared hard stories and gave realistic expectations of hard days ahead gave me hope that God's glory will result from those days. One person stated that God would not save our child from death & a life destined as an orphan, bring our child from across the world to our home (during trials, expenses, and paperwork chases) to NOT have a plan for his life. God has big things in store for these children that He has saved and appointed for our families. How relieving- I'm claiming that!

I feel like the Lord has been drilling in my head these last few months: I'm faithful, I'm faithful. I am in charge, it is going to work out. This is about me (Jesus) and I'm going to bring this about for my glory. The retreat gave me further evidence that HE IS FAITHFUL and I was so filled. It was an emotional weekend, for sure, and even as I have been listening to the sessions I missed during the retreat, I have cried at how good the Lord is and how I KNOW he will continue to be faithful to HIS purpose- whether that means a hard journey for us or not. (Remind me of this truth in a few months, ok?)

In addition to soaking up truth all weekend, I was SOOO encouraged by some amazing ladies. I didn't get to meet everyone I wanted to, nor do I get to spend as much time with some ladies I have been ~~blogstalking~~ following along, but there were some very special relationships formed!

The weekend began with a long drive to Georgia in a van full of ladies who are adopting. It was so fun, but I didn't snag a picture with our carpool group. I felt like I wanted to soak up everything Candy (veteran adoptive mama) said!

When we got there, my roommate Leigh and I grabbed dinner with Angela and we kept saying "I can't believe this!" because it felt so unreal to finally be there.

There was a HUGE crew of AGCI moms (80, I think?) and here are a few that sat near each other Saturday night:

Some other special ladies:

Makenzie, Leigh, me and KellyJo

Courtney, myself, and Leigh - All adopting first!

1. Alison, she is just as precious in person as in her blog! 2. Makenzie- we had a very special prayer time, love this girl. Wished we lived closer! 3. Katie- hate we didn't get to spend more time together. We have so much in common! 4. Courtney- I could have spent the whole weekend chatting with her. 5. Mary Hull- she's just a few spots behind us on the waitlist, maybe we'll see each other again in Ethiopia??

So there is the recap (finally)- I'm still processing all that I learned and I'm so so thankful I had the opportunity to go!

February Numbers & Rejoicing with Friends!!

2011-02-16T08:58:00.000-05:00

Well our official February numbers are not too much to celebrate about!! Here we are this month:

For girls, we are #43 (moved two spots)

And boys, we are #27 (moved NO spots!)

Although are numbers aren't much to get excited about, we have some friends that we are REJOICING with right now! First of all, Becca Harley, whom I met at the "Created for Care Retreat" in Atlanta, got their baby girl referral just a few days after the retreat! They had been sitting number one for a long time. AND our friends from church, the Forrests, finally got their referral yesterday after 63 DAYS of waiting at #1. They have a precious 7 month old boy who I am sure is worth every ache during those 63 days.

AND FINALLY I am so so soooo happy to announce the surprise referral of my dear friend, Leigh. Leigh is not only a blog friend and someone that I talk to on a daily basis, but my roommate from Created for Care. Last week she & her husband got the call for a 4 year old boy- it was a total surprise because they were #68 on the waitlist and just got on the list in December. I AM SO EXCITED! When she called me I couldn't help but cry, I felt like it was my own referral I was so excited! {The reason they got their referral when they were so high on the list is that there were NO families in front of them with the parameters that matched the child.}

It is such a privilege to walk beside these adoptive families in this journey of heartache, waiting, hope and joy. The Lord is so good! These stories confirm that we must trust in the Lord's timing, that HIS ways are perfect and that HE has the best interest of our children in mind.

Dear Baby, We love you!

2011-02-14T13:54:00.000-05:00

Dear Baby,

Happy Valentines Day! Today as we celebrate the love that God has given us, we think of you. We hope that this will be the last year that we are apart. Sweet baby, we think of you and pray for you every day. We pray now that you will grow up and love God and know how much He loves you and gave us the gift of the gospel. Baby, we pray that God will give us the grace & wisdom we need to be your parents. We ache for you and can't wait for you to be home with us. We wonder where you are now- are you born? Are you happy? Are you safe? Is anyone kissing your sweet face? As we think of this day that we celebrate love, we yearn to know the love a parent has for his child.

This is our prayer for you today, dear one, that you will have a life of knowing God and that your life will be a reflection of God's love for you.

1 John 4: 7-12
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Pancakes!!

2011-02-11T06:27:00.000-05:00

Tonight is a special fundraiser for our friends the Moores- a pancake fundraiser! It is $5 at the Summit North Raleigh campus. Are you a local NC-er? Please consider coming out to support their Ethiopian adoption.

Attention Alabama Readers!!!

2011-02-09T11:11:00.001-05:00

Those of you who live around Lee County have heard of Big House, but there is some GREAT news that affects ALL of Alabama! Here is an opportunity for you to reach out to children in Alabama who are in the foster care system and show them the love of Christ.

First off- what is Big House?

"BigHouse, Inc. is a Christ-centered non-profit organization incorporated in February of 2009 designed to meet the needs of children in foster care. We are interested in providing opportunities and experiences of a "typical childhood" to children who so desperately need to be kids. Our goal is to show foster children that not only do people in their community care about their well being - they are loved unconditionally by a Heavenly Father. We display this love in practical ways by building relationships with them through our programs and events. BigHouse was created because there is a lack of opportunity for those in the community to reach out and help children in foster care. We understand that not all people are called to be foster parents. But everyone is called to help children in foster care. Our mission is to connect the needs of foster families with the generosity of our community through the love of Jesus Christ. "

What are practical ways for you to get involved??

Swimsuit and Towel Drive 2011

What? A drive to collect NEW Swimsuits and New Beach Towels for Children in Foster Care across the state.

Simply purchase a swimsuit or beach towel or both, and take them to a designated drop off station. If you would like to make a monetary donation online, please go here. For $25, you can provide a swimsuit and towel to a child in Alabama. If you know a person or a company who can monogram towels, please contact us. If you would like to find out more about becoming a regional coordinator or to see a list and find your area contact, please go here .

BigHouse Foundation

(334) 363-2634

bighousefoundation@hotmail.com

Please consider supporting this program and blessing foster children who so often don't have much to call their "own"- if you are an Alabama resident please contact BigHouse to get involved. I believe they still need regional coordinators to help get the swimsuits & towels to the kids.

They also need sponsors. This can be monetary donations or businesses that can assist in advertising, t-shirts, transportation, printing, donations of suits, towels, or gift cards, monogramming, feeding volunteers the day of our sorting, etc. They are open to the possibilities of partnering with many different types of businesses!