Unexpected twist

Another one of my favorite songs...Todd and I played this song at our wedding because it seemed every time we drove away or toward each other during or dating relationship, this song was playing.  God had answered our prayers when He brought us together!  I cherish this song and the promises it resonates. 


Neither of us slept more than two hours last night.  We were in a constant state of prayer...except from 2-4am when we watched, Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark.  It helped clear our minds:) ha  Thank you to many of you who were awakened at 1am this morning and began praying!  Thank you for your faithfulness and for letting us know.  We are so encouraged!  The scripture that kept running through my mind throughout the night was God's promise: 
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." Psalm 32:8 
Oh God, reveal your ways to us!!

Our appointment at the SDA office was, well, interesting.  The first 15 minutes was spent in Ukrainian "debate" over our paperwork.  We looked at 8 or so files of children in various orphanages and our coordinator specifically asked for a certain region because she is familiar with the caregivers there.  She had prepped us for this appointment the day before which increased our level of emotions.  Here is why...

For those of you following our story, you will recognize the name, "Sam".  He was the little guy that captivated our hearts last year at this time.  After we inquired about him and began making preparations to adopt, we were told he was mentally sick and severely brain deficient.  We were advised not to pursue.  This was very, very difficult for us as a couple and it has taken us a long time to accept this reality.  We have continued to mourn and pray for this little person in hopes that we would be blessed to know he was well taken care of and possibly adopted by someone else.

During our prep meeting, we saw a picture of Sam.  Shocked and overcome with emotion, Todd and I didn't know how to react.  In a sense, Sam had "come back from the dead".  We were confused and took a moment to gather ourselves together.  Our facilitator told us that someone at some point had mentioned he had an enlarged thyroid, which would lead them to believe he would be mentally and physically delayed.  Also, the fact that he was still in an orphanage at the age of 4 must mean something is "wrong".

According to the latest "off the record" information about him, he is walking, running, and talking.  He was also singing and dancing in some sort of play at the orphanage recently.  At this point, we don't know who or what to believe.  All we know is we have to see for ourselves.  We want to be very cautious as our hearts are already very much invested in this little life and don't want "what we want to believe" to cloud what reality is.  After the appointment we took time to pray outside together about the children we had seen.  Before we got through the prayer, we knew what to do.

In short, here is what came out of the appointment today...we are visiting two children.  Because our dossier states we can adopt two children, we have the option to visit two children if they are in the same orphanage or region.  Our situation is a bit more complicated but it's too much to explain right now.

Tomorrow we leave at 10pm on an 11 hour train ride.  We will arrive at 9am Thursday morning and will quickly go to an orphanage to visit a younger boy at the toddler orphanage, then Sam at the preschool orphanage.  This little boy recently had an orthopedic surgery that has enabled him to walk.  He has light brown hair and blue eyes and has a cute smile.  He appears to love playing with all the toys!  After we meet with him, we can choose to visit Sam or wait depending on our emotions and physical exhaustion.

 

We are anxious and excited all at the same time.  Please, please pray for us as we visit these two, precious boys.  I'm still in a state disbelief knowing that Sam's little, perfect face came up in the paperwork and that another little boy could fit right into our family.  Then again, God is bigger than any government, law, or policy.  We are seeking His wisdom and strength as we continue through this journey...  Also, please pray for these little boys.  This must be so scary for them as strangers who don't speak their language visit and play with them.  We pray for their hearts to be open and that they choose us if God has created us as a family.

Love you all and thank you for your prayers!