You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.


Deuteronomy 6:5-9

Lena's (first) mission trip to
Haiti turned into our
Adoption Adventure!
Can't wait to see what God has in store next.....
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Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Why Adopt?





Here are some of the things I think about when pondering the question 'why are you doing this?' While most people have been supportive, positive and encouraging, others wonder.
Some people have asked this question of us. Others have asked it of others, about us.
Some have thought it, without saying the words out loud.
To be honest, we have even wondered.....and so, I think about it......
Here are some of the answers God has given me to the question
'Why are you doing this?'

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This is taken from Steven Curtis Chapman's adoption website.......

<<"The amazing invitation that God has for us is that when we step into the realm of adoption and orphan care, we find that God Himself is there, the true Father to the fatherless. The opportunity to enter into adoption and orphan care is both an opportunity to glorify God by presenting the world with a picture of His heart -- and to come and know Him."

"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name, welcomes me. " Matthew 18:5>>


(On a side note, we don't qualify for assistance from this organization because this is a private adoption, but that does not matter).
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Continuing to ponder the question of 'Why?'
Psalms 68: 5-6 says:

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families,
he leads forth the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

James 1:27 says:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Matthew 25:40 says:

The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Matthew 25:45 says:

He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

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A fellow adoptive mom (Cara) wrote an amazing and heart wrenching post that included some stats and math figures that were......well, overwhelming. Read it here. It's called "197"

The Bible tells us in Matthew 9:37
He said to his disciples, "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few.
and

These were his instructions to them: "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, and ask him to send out more workers for his fields. Luke 10:2

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Those are just some of the things that I think about. In addition, I look at these pictures of these beautiful little boys and I just KNOW in my heart of hearts that this is God's plan for our family. They don't look like us, they don't live anywhere near us, they don't speak our language, we did not give birth to them, and yet, they are ours. Our sons. Wow. No one is more amazed at this than we are!

Jean Baptiste

Steeve

When I met these boys-I fell in love with them-and trust me, I tried to feel the same way about other children in the orphange, the ones that still needed their forever families to find them, and I could not. There were girls and boys. Infants, even. And children who didn't have siblings. There were options....situations that seemed less complicated. I tried to feel this way about each of the other children in the orphange and I could not. I loved them, I thought they were precious, but it was different. These two boys are meant to be part of our family. This is God's plan, not my plan.

What an adventure!

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For those of you that have experienced this knowledge from the Holy Spirit, you will understand what I mean. This KNOWING. For those of you that have not had that experience, you won't get it. No matter what I say or what words I use, you won't get it.

All I can tell you is that I KNOW this is God's plan. No matter what happens, what delays, difficulties or apparent dead-ends we encounter, I KNOW there will be God's deliverance, in His perfect timing.

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And so we proceed to stretch out of our comfort zone. We get ready to do a bunch of paperwork, jump through hoop after hoop, pay lots of different fees for the pleasure of jumping through those hoops, expose ourselves, our strengths, our weaknesses, our imperfection, our hopes and dreams, our private matters, our finances, our life stories to the powers that be.

We pray and we wait.
It is not easy, and yet, what in life that is really worthwhile comes easily?
And, we are also aware that this really hard process that is going on now, is only the beginning.
It may be in fact turn out to be the easy part of this whole process.
Raising children is hard.
Raising adopted children is harder in a variety of ways.
Raising boys is hard.
Raising 2 boys is harder.
Raising children from a different country and a different race is hard.
Raising kids who are older when adopted is hard.
Raising kids who speak a different language than us is hard.
Raising children who've spent years in an orphange is hard.
What about racism in America?
What about taking these kids out of the only 'home' they've ever known?
What if they have medical problems we don't know about?
What if they have attachment issues?
We don't have all the answers and we don't know exactly what will happen or what problems there will be, and maybe, there won't be many problems...and yet, we know that because this is God's plan-these are His children...it will be okay. He will provide what we need, when we need it. We will be equipped to deal with whatever comes our way.


So we Trust our God who told us in Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

We pray and we wait.

12 comments:

  1. Hi Lena, Welcome to the TAs waiting families! I am SO excited for you. I just found your blog today. I think I have some photos for you, but my computer containing all my pics is currently being repaired. I'm using a loaner at the moment... I will send you what I have as soon as I am able. I am so excited these precious boys have a forever family and so excited for you as well! Go God!!

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  2. PS- Gee, Could I have overused the word "excited" any more in one comment?

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  3. I spend a lot of time wondering about why people will never understand why we are adopting. It sounds like you are experiencing some of this. We just continue to focus on the fact that this is God's plan - not our plan. Yes, this is harder in many ways, but I believe the rewards will be so much greater. God is good & faithful!

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  4. Hey Cara- Are you EXCITED by any chance??? :)

    Lena, It's obvious that you have truly become a part of the Seriously Disturbed and Gloriously Ruined Club for Defending the Orphans. Welcome:) Their cause is now our cause and it is our duty, privilege and honor to make sure the whole world knows!

    I'm so happy for you guys!!! Your boys are so beautiful. I saw you with them and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that they were yours! The wait is excruciatingly hard and there will be days when you think the pain of waiting is just TOO much to bear. (That is where I am right now:) But it helps to know that you were called by God to adopt THESE specific boys. And don't forget to lean on your fellow adoptive parents' shoulders! We're all in this together. (Shoot, now I've got that song in my head. Darn High School Musical:)

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  5. Hi everyone, thanks for your kind words and encouragement-I appreciate it more than you can know. Thanks for the welcome too-I just now saw that my boys pics are gone from the waiting child page of the TA website. Woohoo! I will take any/all pics any of you (or others that you know) have of the boys!

    I have been sort of stalking blogland, and read many of yours....and other families within TA and outside.....I feel like I know you all!

    and yes, I am EXCITED! It's a good word-use it all you want! :-)

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  6. Hi Cara B.

    I recall your post about the Seriously Disturbed and Gloriously Ruined Club for Defending the Orphans, and I understood it then, but now, even more so. I'm in, I'm a full fledged, card carrying member.

    Thanks too for your very kind words about me with the boys on our trip....I LOVE them. I can't imagine loving them more....it's an amazing feeling-God is GREAT!

    Talk to you later,

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  7. Hi Lena,

    Congratulations on your beautiful new sons. We just brought home 3 children from Haiti and are in the process of another Haiti adoption as well. If there is anything at all we can do to help as you start the process please let us know.

    Joyfully,
    Angela
    www.makefunofyourday.blogspot.com
    www.haitiadoptionhelp.blogspot.com

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  8. Hey Lena!
    I'm Elisabeth (Gretchen's daughter). I have heard so many good things about you and I'm so happy that I'll be able to communicate with you in this way!

    I have a special love for your boys.

    Love, Lizzie

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  9. Just stopping by to say hi and that we are so excited for you all! We will be praying for you and your journey. Thanks for blogging so that we can all follow along with your journey!

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  10. Hi Lizzie & Sarah and Tim;

    Thanks! It's nice to 'meet' you.

    I am in love-addicted, really to Haiti....

    Feel free to write anytime! I'll look forward to keeping up with you!

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  11. beautiful boys!

    can't wait to meet them :)

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  12. Thanks, Missy! Maybe you can come on one of the mission trips.....hmmm, something to think about!!

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Thanks for interacting with me thru my blog. I love hearing from you.

Thanks again!

Lena