Weren’t you going to adopt while you were in Zambia???

Yes, yes, we are still planning on adopting.  But as we are learning here in Zambia, things don’t exactly move in “American” time.  It is more like we have all the time in the world here, so why the rush???  But that’s just it, even with over 10 months still to go here in Zambia, we do need to step it up just a notch. So here is the latest for you all you wondering minds…

We turned in our home study, approval letter from the U.S. stating we can adopt, as well as copies of passports and work permits to the Zambian government about 2 ½ weeks ago.  We found out that they would let us self-identify a child.  We also discovered that we would be able to work with the social welfare office here in Chongwe, where we live.  This was great news because it is a 45 minute drive each way to Lusaka and you have to work with social welfare quite often.  We set up a visit to an orphanage called House of Moses in Lusaka-a place that houses 0-2 year olds.  This is not the age range we have in mind, but we wanted to be open to what the Lord has for us.  Another couple from America had told us about a particular child there that we wanted to meet just in case it is the little person for us.   I can’t really share any more information about this child, but we went and brought our kiddos and the two girls who are here working with GiveLife, Sarah and Amber.  As we walked into the nursery complete with 15 cribs, it was a little overwhelming!  That’s a lot of cribs in one room!  The babies were really unsure of us at first, but as we started getting them out of their cribs and my kids started bringing them toy after toy from the closet, they warmed up rather quickly!  One little baby girl didn’t let go of Sarah the whole time!  It was so sad and precious at the same time.  Evan really hammed it up for the babes; it made my heart sing.  He tickled them, played peek a boo, handed out hugs, and just loved on them.  It was a really good visit and we are now praying about this certain child from there and praying that all the babies there find their forever families.

Our next step will be to visit the Bill and Bette Center, which houses about 15 2-4 year olds. This is happening tomorrow!!! Stephen and Aby are going with us this time and we are leaving kiddos behind with Sarah and Amber.  My mind is racing tonight with thoughts of possibly meeting our child in the next 24 hours!  We are also planning on visiting a few more off the beaten path orphanages next week if we can (or if we need to J ). The only issue with those is the records are not great like the other two I mentioned, but we know that if God leads us to adopt from an orphanage like that, then He will open the door for us to adopt from there.

So this is where we are.  We wait.  Getting to be the theme here in Zambia.  But we rest in the fact that God always has a purpose in everything He does and it will be revealed to us in time.  We know without a shadow of a doubt that there is a child here who God has set apart to become a member of our family.  All though Satan has done his best and tried to attack this in my heart several times-thoughts like “why are you messing up your neat perfect looking little family?” “how are you going to love this child the same as your biological children?” “you are not going to get it done in time!”  But so thankful for God’s word where it says in James 4:7: “Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  I have had to speak this prayer out loud several times to get that pesky voice out of my head and it has worked!  I refuse to let Satan cause me to doubt God’s will for our life.  And God has helped me defeat that voice and even reassured me further with thoughts like: “you are giving your biological children another sibling-they will love him or her” “you are teaching and showing your kids to be the hands and feet of Jesus through this adoption” “I will fill your heart with love for your new child-it will flow from Me” “I will make all things work together for good in the exact timing that you need.” 

So, little child, whoever you are, wherever you are, we are coming and we are so excited to ask you to join our family.  We can’t promise you a perfect life, but we can promise to love you and to teach you of the greatest love of all-a love that is only possible by the One who created you and died for you.  

John 14:18 "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.