A Step of Faith

As many of you know, I have a heart for missions. It is truly amazing to me to see God's work in the world through even the smallest hands in His family. We are all adopted

into God's family through Christ Jesus and we have all received the call to care for the world's orphans. While not all of us are called to adopt these children, we are all called upon to assist them in some way.

We are stepping out in faith and I know that our needs will be met by God. It feels like God is leading us out on a limb, when in reality God has built the bridge for us to walk over. But my sinful nature – always wanting to know everything and having to have control of everything – keeps me from the enormous blessing of trusting in God's will.

Of course there are worries involved with an international adoption but I have this strange calmness about me when it comes to our decision. With that being said, Matthew and I are confident that God is calling us to adopt two children from Ethiopia and while we know that adoption is expensive, even for one child, we know that God is good and He will provide the strength and support needed to see our children home to us!

Isen's Excitement

In the past week Isen has realized that our family is somehow connected to Ethiopia. He had kept forgetting that his new baby brother or sister would be joining our family from Ethiopia but now he finally understands exactly why Ethiopia is important to us. It is so exciting that he has come to this conclusion all on his own! Enoch and Keenen still don't understand, but they are too young to really understand much. I am surprised that Isen has, seeing as he is only five.

Tomorrow we will be giving a presentation at our church regarding our adoption. It is amazing how God has blessed us with such wonderful family and friends! We will be having an Ethiopian dinner...just a sampler of some foods. I will be showing pictures of Ethiopia and talking about the culture, the people and our adoption. It is exciting to be doing something again for our adoption.

Struggling with God's many callings

So, the last week has been a real struggle for me to do what is required of me right now.  I am continually drawn to be “doing something” for the adoption.  I feel as if that is where I am, that is where God has called me . . . but that is not where I am yet and even though it is where God has called me to go, it is not where I have been called to go immediately.  I am finding it very difficult to understand that I have also been called to be a student at the moment and that that is an important job – one in which God has called me to complete.  I feel this need to abandon my current callings and just leap head first into this adoption calling.  Matthew has been a real strength but it is hard to go to class on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I miss my children and feel this unbelievable urge to go home and hug them, kiss them, play and read with them and tug them in at night!  

I have an exam tomorrow in my NeoClassical and Romantic Art History course and I have been unable to study for it.  I continue to think that I can sneak off to the computer and work on our narratives for our home study or start collecting some of the paperwork needed for our dossier.  All the while, I know in my heart and in my head that this is not what I am being called to do at the moment.  How does one find balance?  I have been praying constantly and have asked almost everyone I know to be praying for me but I am continuing to struggle with this and it is not getting any easier.  Please, continue to pray for us and for God’s continued strength and support!