From the Beginning..........

If you are going to understand a story, knowing the background is important.  For this reason, I will try to give you a thorough description of our journey to adoption.   Since before we married in 1997, we knew we wanted to have children.  We had always said, if we had two of one gender, we would try for a third and hope to get the other.  Well, our plans, were just plans and not what God desired, or so we thought.  After two pregnancies filled with complications, we decided attempting a third would be unwise. By 2001, we were content with the two little guys we had to raise and call our own.

Fast forward to 2009, and we'll pick up the story again.   After an in-depth Bible study, we felt God calling our family into international missions.  We felt as though we were ready to say "yes" to this new opportunity.  In preparation, we researched full-time mission opportunities within our church community as well as short term trips.  In January of 2010,  we had the incredible chance to spend ten days in Jamaica, in a remote village in the center of the island.  Even through this, we assumed God was leading us toward mission work. We watched as our boys gave all of themselves, everyday, in whatever way they could.  We were in awe of how God would choose to use our family for His glory. After returning home and researching more, we seem to continually hit dead ends.  Each time we followed a lead, it would fizzled out and we found ourselves frustrated. Why wasn't God putting us on a fast-track to some remote group of people who had never heard his name.  After all, we had already said we were willing to go. Arrogance on our part because these were our plans.

Toward the end of 2011, after reading a newspaper article on Haitian orphanages, we felt God tugging on our hearts again.  At first, only the husband was on board, sensing God wasn't asking us to go to a mission field, but instead, we were to bring that mission field home.  I will admit, I wasn't really buying into the idea.  First, God hadn't placed that burden on my heart, not yet anyway. Second, we were finally able to go out, without kids, and not have to hire a babysitter. Third, how would we pay on our current budget?  You get the idea, I had many questions and reasons why this wasn't God's plan.  In the end, God brought me to realize that He placed my husband as the head our house and I needed to trust him, even when I didn't understand.  So, I said "yes".  Since then, I have grown to embrace the journey of our adoption and fall in love with a little girl whose face I have yet to see. 

Where are we now?  We have chosen our agency, completed our home study and at least a ream of paperwork necessary for our dossier.  We are waiting to be fingerprinted for the third time, yes, the third time.  Each agency requires their own and no one seems to like to share.  Once we get our clearance on this set of fingerprints, we can send all our documents to be translated for Bulgaria and be officially logged-in with them.  At that point, we will be able to see the faces of precious little ones who are in need a forever family and find the one God has already chosen to be our daughter.