Our big news!!

In case you haven't heard - WE ARE ADOPTING!!!! :)  I feel I should say, we are FINALLY adopting. :)  I have started this blog so you can share in our exciting journey with us.  :)

So - how did it all begin?

Well, 13 years ago while Brian and I were stationed at Osan Air Base in Korea we were blessed to visit orphanages to play with the children and take them sledding, playing in snow, just love on them for a little while. Playing with these precious children opened our eyes to the need for families to open their hearts and homes to orphans.  We wanted to take each and every one of them home and love on them forever.  However, we knew that moment was not the right timing.  

Six years later we had our beautiful 'Little Princess' Aili Grace. Three years after this our precious 'Little Prince' Ian Connor.

They are such sweet blessings that we love with our whole heart.  I had complications while pregnant with Ian and was instructed to not try to have children again.  We knew at that moment that was God's plan, for had we continued to have children, we would've been less likely to adopt.  

Last fall we started feeling the time is now.  How exciting!  So, we started looking for an agency that we could adopt from Korea while living in Florida.  Well, we found only a couple and both told us that we were ineligible due to my heart condition which I was diagnosed with in 2010.  Wow!  What now?  We had thought for 13 years that we would adopt a healthy little girl from Korea and Brian would teach her Korean, about her culture and heritage.....  We were so surprised..disappointed...uncertain what it meant...

I immediately started looking at waiting children on the internet.  We started reading books (I highly recommend Successful Adoption: A Guide for Christian Families).  

I found a little boy "Kelly" that I just fell in love with - is that possible- to fall in love with a picture?  With those eyes?  Well, I did.  I began to pray for him, about him daily.  I told Brian about him.  "Kelly" has a heart defect and is from China.  Brian didn't feel he was ours, nor did he feel it was China or special needs that we were supposed to be looking for.  So, I kept praying for him.  Found out soon after that our Pastor was adopting and was through the first part of the paper chase.  I told Melissa, his wife about "Kelly".  They got his file, we found a cardiologist to review it, but he was not their child either.  The doctor said, "I think we have something to offer this chid.  He would have a 'medically good life' here"  He said that without the surgery (which will not be done in China) he would die a painful, awful death.  NOOOOO!!!!  I kept praying for this little boy and his heart.  God, you are the Great Physician.  Please protect his heart Lord, and please find this child a family - fast!!  PS - it would be great if WE were his family, but you gotta work on Brian for that!

About a month later another friend told me to check out this blog cheaperbythehalfdozens.blogspot.com - could it be a picture of "Kelly".  Yes!! Amazing out of 1500 children on the waiting child list this lady was advocating for him on her blog!  Amazing!  Even more amazing - Brian had said the day before I read this blog that he'd love to meet an Air Force family who had adopted a heart baby from China.  Guess what?  She is an Air Force wife who adopted a terminal heart baby from China.  Ready for more amazing?  They were just stationed here at MacDill WHERE WE ARE in the last year!  How AWESOME is our God???  By the way, this lady, Sonia - she is also amazing!

So, after I shared her blog with Brian.  He admits that God has been working on his heart, that he is praying about China and about a child with heart issues. Shortly after this, a friend shared some blogs with me written by "Reluctant Dads".  Well, I would never label my dear hubby as that.  He is and has always been totally open and excited to adopt.....it was just the healthy Korean baby girl....  I didn't send it to him at first, but did finally send it.  Again, God is amazing and working.  Brian told me the next day that after reading those men's entries they had the same concerns he did and all their concerns and fears were unfounded.  They loved their children, special needs just means special...  

Then he said it..."God has changed my heart...I think it is China, a heart baby - START the paperwork"!!!  WOOOHOOOO!!!!!  

So, here we are on the paper chase....  :)  God is so good!    There are 5 wonderful families from our church who are adopting 7 children from 3 countries.  Taking this journey with them is a gift from none other than our Amazing God!  Thinking I should rename this blog - Our Amazing God! :)

As for "Kelly" we recently learned that he has found his forever family.  PRAISE GOD!!!  I am so thankful he will be getting his surgery soon!!!  Yes, a little sad he is not ours. Yet, I believe God placed him...his picture..his story...his heart in our life to get us to this point and give us a heart for a child who has a heart that needs medical attention....a heart to love. :)