Do you see that empty chair…….???
You probably know what that means……
Yes.
YES
WE SAID YES!!!!!
ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!
Why, you ask?
Because we have MORE love to give…..more Space in our hearts and MORE room at the table.
And we think SEVEN is a really awesome number!
….we say YES because on the other side of the world is a precious little newly turned 6yo boy,
who has waited too long for a family to say YES to him.
OUR SON
Let me just say this……(to clear up all those absurd misconceptions out there)
and these misconceptions are, unfortunately, what keeps many awesome families, who may desire to adopt, from stepping out.
So I want to be clear and REAL to encourage those who are considering adoption but feel inadequate.
well…..We are “inadequate”
We do not say YES because we feel so brave, adequate or super-powered
or ready or with abounding earthly resources (ha, that’s a joke)
or confident AT. ALL. ….
or even come close to having it “all together”….haha
ummmm, nope!
we’re just about as messy as they come!
but, here’s the thing:
God calls messy people to do His work!!
He doesn’t ask that we have it all together, He just asks that we be “available” for HIM to work through!
…we are definitely not able in our own strength, confidence or minimum resources
THIS IS ALL the Spirit’s work in our family.
He has moved all our hearts in a beautiful cohesive way to say YES together!
It’s only by faith in HIS strength to work through our weaknesses,
faith in HIS powers to work in our inabilities,
faith in HIS provision despite our limited resources.
we believe that the ONE who is calling us is more than able to work beyond our feeble limitations and use our messy lives for his glory.
SO ….WE SAY YES.
ok, ok……sure…..
it may look or sound a little CrAaaAAAzY to many who just may not understand or “get it“…..
However, you know what??
it IS so very CrAzY!!
See, we are crazy in love with this precious child!
….Following our Jesus is a crazy adventure of faith!
and We are so ok with that.
We are ok with not being normal.
we step forward, even with all our crazy chaos, believing the one who is able to work through “OUR YES” will demonstrate HIS power for the cause of the fatherless.
See, we can’t do this without HIM.
We are in a position where we desperately need GOD to act.
And, His word says HE WILL ACT.
He says that His cause is to defend the orphan, and speak up for the fatherless, to love mercy, and to lay down one’s life for the sake of the least of these…..
THIS IS HIS HEART.
ADOPTION is HIS HEART.
He has asked us to step out….
But, what an honor for us!!
We are being invited to a front row seat to HIS crazy BIG miracle, once again.
The incredible and amazing, and messy miracle of Adoption.
A miracle to get to see the Lord move mountains for those that are SO close to His heart, the orphan.
We are sure He has called us to a very specific special child…..
Honestly, this was not our timing. It is NEVER the right timing, though.
I mean, seriously speaking, we were gonna wait till life settled down a bit before going back (does it ever?)
…..Feels like we just got off the crazy train, after all! 😉
ha!
But, God had other plans!
this was a beautiful and chaotic interruption into our plans….and I am so glad we heard HIS soft voice nudging our hearts!
God’s timing is not always our timing.
We are honored and deeply humbled that He would softly intervene and choose to invite us into this precious boy’s story of HOPE.
……because, when we saw his face…..our hearts pounded.
we knew we were looking at “our beloved son” …..
..and we fell in love right away…..
….and so, with shaky knees, sweaty hands held tight to each other…… we jump!!!
We leap off the cliff and proclaim a resounding and excited “YES” to our son who has waited and waited.
We leap off the cliff and proclaim a resounding and excited “YES” to our son who has waited and waited.
He has been bounced around between so many agencies lists just waiting for his family to SAY YES.
He has waited through 6 birthdays for someone to take a leap for him.
He has various medical needs, but his absolute greatest need is for a family to call his own.
He has been through so much “HARD” in his 6 years of life….it breaks my heart to ponder.
yet, just look at that smile!!!
A little warrior for sure!
I just want to scoop him up and kiss those yummy cheeks!! I can’t believe we get to be HIS family!!
A little warrior for sure!
I just want to scoop him up and kiss those yummy cheeks!! I can’t believe we get to be HIS family!!
How blessed we are!!!
So, here we go (grow) again!
We trust that GOD will catch us in all the unknowns.
because, HE IS THAT BIG!
For those that wonder and ask:
Did we struggle and wrestle with this decision???
Did we struggle and wrestle with this decision???
Absolutely we did!
you know why???…
because it is SO SO much more comfortable in the dry boat…where we are settled and safe and cozy, an illusion of peace. peace in the box. the comfort zone. …
But, its a lie.
Because, once your eyes have been opened to the reality of brokenness in this world, and you’ve come face to face with the “fatherless”, and you’ve held them close to your hearts and you have seen that pain in their reality, the hopelessness in their futures
and you’ve seen the ache and the desire in their eyes for love…..
it all changes.
It changes you.
FOREVER.
So, when you are invited to make a difference, its just super hard to look the other way!
It rocks you and haunts you.
You can NOT just turn away and say NO, and be at peace with returning to life as you know it.
because you know you would be missing out on SO MUCH total amazing greatness!
Peace comes only when you step out of the comfortable boat where and when HE calls you, and trust the Lord to take you by the hand and allow you to walk on the water with Him!
peace is right there in HIS will,
even though there will be the storms and waves in front of us.
(because God certainly does not promise easy calm waters….)
We know that whatever mountain we face, a sweet treasure awaits on the other side…. who Is SO WORTH IT!
…..Ultimately, We say YES because of what has been done for US!
“So He decided long ago to adopt us. He adopted us as his children with all the rights children have. He did it because of what Jesus Christ has done.
It pleased God to do it.”
(Eph 1:5)
This is the amazing miracle that has been done for us. We’ve been adopted into GOD’S Family, given a new name, an inheritance, a future
….a HOPE.
It pleased God to do it.”
(Eph 1:5)
This is the amazing miracle that has been done for us. We’ve been adopted into GOD’S Family, given a new name, an inheritance, a future
….a HOPE.
and, ultimately we just do not want to miss HIS blessings!!!!
soooooo….
how far along are we?
We are starting the adoption process from scratch! China makes you do that if it is over a year from your last adoption. sigh…..
We are in the beginning stages and have finally received Pre-approval from China to adopt him! PRAISE GOD!
So, we are in the middle of our homestudy and we are running towards our little buddy in hopes to bring him home by spring of next year!
Adopting is VERY expensive, as many of you know.
We are jumping out in faith and trusting the Lord to provide financially to bring our son home!
We will start fundraising by selling awesome shirts for the WHOLE familyin many color choices to be revealed soon!!!So excited! (hint: hey are a new kind of SUPER!!) 🙂
We will be kicking this off soon!
above ALL, We ask that you Please join us in praying for our son, as we race towards him…he is in a government run CWI so we have no contact with him which makes it even harder!
OUR BELOVED SON
An “orphan” for 6 years….but an “orphan” no more
ONE LESS.
now he will be called,
Hudson Andrew
our little ball of sunshine!
The namesake of a great hero of faith and missionary to China.
“a future world changer”
NOW he is called
a son….a brother….a grandson…a nephew….a cousin.
he is called:
WANTED!!!!!!
Children are a blessing
and a gift from the Lord. (psalm 127:3)
Oh Johanna and family! With thankful hearts we rejoice with you. working with orphans here in China makes me see the need for adoptive families to come forward every day. I am so happy for you all and will be praying! God is faithful