The Hardest Part

Patience.  It keeps coming back to patience.

It took patience to get pregnant with Sierra.

We waited and hoped for years for a second child... until Gabe appeared out of no where.

And now we wait again.

This adoption stuff is hard!  I know that there are thousands of kids in need of a forever family. I think that's what makes this hardest on my heart. I want to bring this child home now-- yet there's a process... there's overworked caseworkers... there's rules and regulations... There isn't a 'hurry' anywhere else.

We expected to have an initial "meeting" via skype with a young man in the Seattle area. I waited and waited for the call on Thursday. (And yes, I even tested my phone to make sure it was working.) I'm still not sure exactly what went wrong, but his caseworker said he had a lot of questions and it didn't seem like an appropriate time. Then she mentioned something about an aunt that she needed to do some research on.

My heart is heavy.  Yes, I know I need to have more patience. I get that. But it's more than just the patience part. My heart is longing for this child we've been praying for. I don't know who he is... but he already belongs here. I need him to be home and safe.

*sigh* One day at a time.

One Step Forward

On Thursday, we will (hopefully) be having a skype conversation with a 10 year old boy who lives in the Seattle area. Out of the kids we've looked at and considered, he definitely tugs on my heart the most.

Ready to be entertained?

....

His name is Gabe.

The following will probably only make sense to those over the age of 35ish:

I picture Sierra meeting new people and saying, "Hi. I'm Sierra. This is my brother Gabe. And this is my other brother Gabe."

(Never doubt God's sense of humor.)

Stepping Out

Almost 16 years ago, a beautiful, dramatic, smart, curly-haired girl made us parents.

8 years ago, a funny, active, smart, brown-eyed, 5 year old boy entered our family.

And we thought we were complete. Done. Finito. No more children.

I believe God laughed at that idea... He has this way of rearranging the best of plans.  We feel that it's time to become a family of 5. (Well, maybe 6. But probably just 5.  Is God laughing again?)

We took adoption classes through the state of Oregon and completed our home study. We were given access to a website with all of the kids available for adoption in Oregon. There are currently 91 kids listed on the website. The problem? Out of 91, the 4 boys between the ages of 5 and 11 have physical and mental needs far beyond what we can handle. If we were up for adopting a family of 4 or 5 children, we'd have plenty to choose from.

Enter Discouragement.

We took a peek at the children available across the rest of the U.S. and were amazed at how many there are.  So.many.boys. We requested information on a couple of them and quickly realized that other states are in a much different situation than Oregon. They're overflowing with children who need adoptive families.

And then the slight kink in the plans hits yet again. Adoption through the foster care system in Oregon is free. There's even ongoing financial support available with the adoption of an older or 'special needs' child. Adopting outside of Oregon is not so free. While I don't believe the expenses will be anywhere close to the cost of an overseas adoption, there will be legal fees and travel costs that will come into play.

Since that's not in our plan... and God seems to be opening that door... He must have a plan to take care of the expenses.

If you'd like to help get this sweet boy (whomever he may be) home to a family who will love him forever, we've set up a link for donations toward the adoption expenses.

But more than that... please pray that a) We would hear God clearly  and b) This future member of our family would be safe until we find him.

Thank you, friends.