We haven't updated the blog in a while but that doesn't mean that things have not been happening. We have been waiting to share that our agency has presented a slightly older little girl to us. All that we know is that she is a toddler, she is 100% healthy, and that she is of Kazakh ethnicity. She becomes available for adoption on the 19th of October which is less than a month away. We are trying to find a balance between being excited and remembering what happened last time and how quickly things can change. I don't think that either of us will feel certain until we are on a plane (On a plane home that is).
Adopting a Toddler:
Since we've told people about the possibility of adopting a toddler, we have gotten a range of reactions. Some say, "Oh, but didn't you want a baby?" Others have expressed their excitement saying, "Oh great, you get to skip that rough baby period." The bottom line is that we did originally envision Ava as a baby but that didn't mean we were necessarily opposed to an older child. We know of the challenges that adopting an older child could bring. But we also know that God is the one who knits families together and he is capable of doing that with a toddler or an infant. We are in a place of asking God whether or not we are the parents that he has in mind for this girl or if there is another couple who he has prepared to be her forever family. We feel that a huge door was opened for us when we received our letter of invitation. Several families in our agency have been waiting a year longer than us. Since we have this letter we are able to travel as soon as this child comes off the registry which is the 19th of next month. We pray that, if this is not what God has for us, that he would now close the door and not allow us to travel.
Preparing:
It has been impossible to prepare for potentially bringing home a toddler in a few weeks for several reasons. Right now we have no exact age. We were told that she is 3 but have learned that in most Asian cultures, they start counting a child's age "1" at birth. Our agency's information is limited because this particular orphanage is packed with families at this moment. They are really focusing on getting families through before the new year because of all the changes.
Prayer:
- Please pray for us as we are in a time of waiting and in need of great patience, peace, and clarity.
- As a teacher I need sufficient time to prepare sub plans if we are leaving. Without knowing for sure means that, every day I have less time to plan.
- God has good plans for this sweet girl...plans to give her a hope and a future. Pray that God is near to her and that he is working in her life and providing for her needs. We know that it is his will to do so.
- Pray for our family and close friends that they would also feel peace about this possible new family member.
- Pray for James as he is attempting to learn Russian in 4 weeks! He just passed his first lesson this morning :-)
Praise:
- We thank God that he has given us peace about traveling to meet this child.
- We are thankful for the support of our parents.
- We are thankful for the understanding of our employers
- We are thankful for this opportunity to learn how to trust in the Lord and walk by faith.
Love to you all. Thank you for going on this roller coaster with us. We assure you that there will be more!
Kari and James
Happy Fall!
