Peace Be Still

Ok, so I've pretty much been a basket case the last few days - I talked with our agency who does the home study and because we flip flopped our process and aren't done with our home study we are looking at another 2 to 3 months before our home study is done and THEN we can send our paperwork to Ethiopia! So my son is sitting in an orphanage for a couple more months than we thought cause I had no idea that until all our paperwork was in would they even open our file. So thanks to a freakin busy summer I haven't been able to get some of it done which had I known our home visit and everything else was hinging on paperwork completion then I would've tried to bust it out a lot faster although I'm not sure when that would've happened. But since we've been sending them stuff periodically I assumed they were just going to call and say they were coming over not hey by the way when you send us your mountain of paperwork THEN we'll start the home visit process. GRR, so I've been pretty upset, and feeling way too overwhelmed today with hold ups at the bank trying to get a statement of our good standing and they won't do it - and my poor sister is goin through a divorce which I can't get into here - but it's bad ok let's just leave it at that. So I've been up and mad so I opened up my Bible needing a fresh word and looked at the reading for today August 22 and it was Luke 18 1-14. Let me preface this with I need to get my boy home like more than I need to eat (ok almost but like that's the urgency I feel for him). So it starts out "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea ,'Grant me justice against my adversary.' For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself ' Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!" And the Lord said "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and QUICKLY (emphasis mine). However, when the Song of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" And it keeps going to talk about those who pray and humble themselves are justified while those who boast are not. Anyway, I needed to know that my pleading will pay off and my uneasy spirit can drive me to work like a dog to get this boy home. I'm praying for a miracle - maybe it's peace while we wait for the process or maybe it's getting him home in record time because we are able to get this all done quickly. Unite with me and plead with God to grant me my request, be Big be Fast and be I AM in all we do especially getting our little boy home. On a happy note - we had dinner with friends last night and as we left they gave us $250!! I almost cried on the way home - not only are they financially helping us but they are looking into adoption also. I couldn't be more overjoyed to open eyes and hearts the the world of orphans. Peace and Blessings for all.
Kala

My cake and eat it too!

So why can't I have this, I'm just wondering. So since I last checked in and the yard sale ROCKED I've been running like I've lost my mind finishing adoption paperwork, working full time, trying to do youth group stuff like 30 famine which by the way was HARD and I cheated - I thought I was gonna puke after 26 hrs of fasting so I ate some bread. Yeah I know I suck but hey that's me in a nut shell. And also, I'm like not one of those people who does well on low blood sugar or tired and if you mix both well good luck to you. We may not be friends when it's all said and done, too bad eh? I don't do things gracefully I decided. I can't speak gracefully, I use words like crap, frigin, and sweet. I'm loud, probably obnoxious to most, and have a hard time keeping boundaries which translates into a very busy life. So my job is all fine and dandy but 12 hour days are kickin my tail that's for sure. I'm all freakin out cause when we travel to get *H* from Ethiopia I want time to adjust for his sake and ours. This is like a monster huge transition which even after we do all our adoption courses and read like 10 more books we won't be ready for it. Jason and I are rose colored glass kinda people. Anyway, I'm trying to figure out how exactly to make some money since we'll have a nice loan payment plus be at home as much as possible - so I want my cake and eat it to! I really don't think it's too much to ask for right? Hehe. Yeah ok, see the rose colored glasses? :). Anyway, I'm looking for ways to make cash at home so we'll see! :). I'm so glad I have a blog to vent on! If any of you feel like praying for us - we need a few adoption grants to come through, donations to be awesome, *H* home soon, like I'm praying for before Christmas, and umm... maybe a nap in there! :). Peace love and cake for all!
Kala

He did it again!

God is SOOOO good. He is coming through in new ways each day, confirming our adoption and proving faithful in helping us see the light financially in this whole ordeal. Let's clear up a thing or two about adoption, best decision we've ever made and most people assume it's either free or cheap - so um.. to all of you who like me until I researched it knew NOTHING about adoption it's VERY expensive. Whether it's domestic or international (the latter is MUCH more spendy by the way) it's all got cost to it. So when we stepped out in faith to choose to adopt and got lucky enough to find our son like 6-8 months earlier than expected we lifted hands,hearts,and eyes to heaven and asked for money. Cause who doesn't right? Seriously though, we're lucky enough to have some of it through a loan which will be paid off in different ways but ultimately I got a full time job to cover payments and save money and we are just searching out how to find the dough.
Anyway, so we did an adoption yard sale fundraiser and my prayer was just don't let this be a waste of time. And MAN did friends and family come through. We had so much crap - I mean treasures - I mean stuff and we made around $1500. AHHH can you believe it? I'm just amazed and honored to be apart of all of this. God is good.
Oh then we get a call this morning and one of our local news stations heard about our story and the yard sale and they did a story on us that will air tonight at 6pm. My prayer and desire is we will be a catalyst for others to look into adoption - we're not meant to save the world alone but if we partner together we can put a dent in poverty, orphans without hope, and bring tangible relief and help to those who need it. You know the single mom down the road - watch her kids for free, mow her lawn drop off a gift card and don't let her know it came from you. Or the elderly couple - bring them their mail, pull their weeds, and walk them to their car. Anyway,I'll get off my soap box!!
Peace, Blessings and Pass the Olive Garden (that's where we're eating tonight - bring on the one million calorie Fettuccine Alfredo that's already calling my name)
Kala

Revision

Ok, this may be a mute point but I wanted to clarify an earlier statement in the post before this one. I don't believe God took our child from us in January, but I do believe he allowed it to happen so we could be open to bringing our son in Ethiopia home. Does that make sense? Some people probably wouldn't care how I worded that BUT I wanted to be clear I firmly believe that sometimes things just happen because that's the world we live in and God works through the muck and mire to bring glory to His holy name in the midst of pain and sadness as well as joy and hope. Ok, I had to get that off my chest, thanks for tuning in again! And WOOHOO again for us.. please pray with us as we talk to our agency this week to find out the process to get our boy home. Oh man, we've got another one!! Yeah for us!!

WHEWW!

Wow what a week!! We just got back from Jr Hi camp where I lead worship. What a blast! The band was amazing and we just had an awesome time leading kids to the throne of God. What an experience. I'm not well versed in leading so it was rough at first but still awesome!!! I'm beat and have LOADS of laundry but hey that's life eh??
The MOST exciting thing of all is --- duh duh duh duh... we have our little boy waiting for us in Ethiopia - AHHHH! I opened up my email and saw we had an update from our agency on waiting children. So I scroll down and see his face and I just knew. So then Jason walked in and asked "Who is that?" and I told him that he was available and he just stared at him and told me to send them an email that we want him. So we contacted our agency and no one else had sent in for information on him so we did our talk with the international pediatrician last night at camp and when we sign and send in our official referral contract HE'S OURS!!! AHHH! Amazing, I can't believe it. He's a show stopper I'm warnin ya, and the girls are super excited. Cute story time - so the other night we were praying before bed and it was Faith's turn so she said her normals thanks for everything and ends with " and Jesus please tell (I don't know if I can say his name online yet) so he'll be BOY for now, in his heart that we are coming for him." It melted my heart what a sweet way to ask God to whisper his family is coming. It must be weird for him when he doesn't know we are planning and praying and freaking out excited that he's coming - he doesn't know we exist yet. Oh but he will!!! His days are coming of Hopie tickling him and then bossing him around, Faithie helping him brush his teeth and Mikey taking his toys. Oh the joy! :). My heart is quite full tonight thinking about how amazing my God is. I went to the Casting Crowns concert and they sang their song " Love her like Jesus" and I lost it. That song hasn't meant much to me until I heard it with the ears of one mommy giving up her baby so another mommy can love and raise him. And my heart breaks now as I think about how she holds him in her thoughts and heart and how she wants to hold his face in her hands. I promise I will do my best to love him like he deserves offering him compassion, love, and a safe place to fall. I cherish her decision to let us be apart of his life and thank my God that took one life from me and gave me another in return. "You give and take away, but blessed be Your name!"
Well not much else going on than being on cloud 9 for the last week. We also just fast forwarded our process by about uh 6 months and uh we don't have all the money yet, so uh hey God remember us!! I am banking on a miracle. Let us pray!! :).

My Jesus, My Saviour
Lord there is none like You
All of my days
I want to praise the wonders of Your mighty love!


Blessings,
Kala