What a Day!!

What a day! We met Manny... he is awesome. Oddly enough, he is exactly what we expected! He was very happy to see us. I would describe him as quiet, very mature, very sharing, gentle, and definetly a leader. The foster worker described him as their best little helper. He shares with all the children and is very nuturing to the younger ones. He continued to offer us his food and snacks.

He was aware that we would be arriving today and almost immediately began referring to us as "mommy and daddy" - as were all the other kids! This was very heartbreaking!

We were able to hang out all day at the foster home and play with the kids, (by the way, they may say "foster home" but it is definetly an orphanage - roughly 30 kids aged 1-10)! All the kids are incredibly well behaved, and suprisingly neat. The conditions are worse than I anticipated. Flies everywhere, more kids than beds, no furnishings; but they do have adequate care. Nice staff, food, etc.

Also, different developements than we anticipated... he is staying with us at the hotel tonight! This was unexpected (had we known we would have brought a few more important things), but it is so cool to have extra time with him.

There is another couple here going through the process as well. They are adopting three little boys. It has been comforting to have them around.

Not much else to say other than it was an amazing experience today! We will post pictures as soon as we can ge them loaded....

All is Well

Just a quick post to say that we have made it to Ghana. The flight was long, and we found it difficult to sleep. Our ride from the airport to the hotel was a little late picking us up, but we passed the time by engaging in a conversation with a fellow who considered himself a prophet of God. It was both strange and entertaining.

The hotel is fairly nice and we are comfortable. In the morning we will get to visit our son at the foster home! We are both excited and nervous! Please keep us in your prayers!

UPS Comes Through in the Clutch

Just like Kirk Gibson in the 1988 World Series, UPS came through in the clutch! We expedited our visa/passports requests to Washington last Thursday and expected a 48 hour turn-around time. We booked flights, made appointments with the courts in Ghana, and prepared to leave today; June 10. However, the embassey needed all of 168 hours to complete the visa requests. As of last night at 6:00, our passports were in Washington, DC with no sign of shipping them home. Then Gibson hobbled to plate and knocked one out of the park... in the bottom of the ninth... with two outs.... against all odds. Our visas arrived 2 hours before we had to leave for the airport! Like I said UPS is clutch.

Truthfully it wasn't as dramatic as the Gibson homerun, but I did find myself doing the dumb looking fist pump! I'm sure I don't need to remind you that Gibby's walkoff homerun ended game 1 of the series and propelled the Dodgers to a four game sweep over A's. If history is any indicator, we are off to a good start! Needless to say, this is Brady typing.

Conclusion: God loves Kirk Gibson, and God loves us. To the praise of His glorious grace! Thanks again for all the prayers and support! Next stop Ghana. Stay tuned.

Excited, Anxious, & Prayerful

It has officially been a month since our last post. A few things have changed. We still don’t have a court date. However, it is highly likely that we will have one within a week or two. Originally, the lawyer was to represent us using a power of attorney for this court date- meaning we would not need to be present. However, it is now possible (but not certain) that we will need to be present for court.

This makes me:

A. Super Excited! Things are happening!
Throughout this process I have been impatiently praying for patience (i.e.: Lord, grant me patience…Now!). But patience doesn’t really work that way! Being from a generation prone to instant gratification makes this whole ‘patience’ thing difficult. I have to remind myself daily to ‘put on’ patience as stated in Colossians 3:12 – “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” We have been very fortunate to have a quick and easy process thus far. However, I’m sure this is only the beginning of our growth in patience, as there is still much left to be done, through both this process, and in life!

B. Anxious! For a couple of reasons.
First: That we could be in Africa in two weeks!?! This is a bit unexpected, seeing as we were operating under the assumption that the lawyer would meet proxy for us; which might still be the case. However, just the possibility of near travel seems surreal.
Second: Brady has a certification test (which he has been working on for 4 years) on June 5th. Could be bad timing. This test is only offered once annually every June, and this is the last section required to attain the certification. Hopefully we won’t incur an interference of the two.

As the proverbial clock winds down on our adoption process, here are a few things to pray with us for:

• That God would work out the timing for Brady’s test and our travel date.
• It is now rainy season in Ghana- meaning it rains every day, and will probably continue to throughout July (yuck!). Several of the children in the foster home took ill due to the change in weather- including our son. They were treated at the hospital, (nothing serious) and are now back at the home. Please pray for the health of our son, as well as the other children in his home.
• That God would prepare the heart of our son for adoption, and that our transition into a family would be natural.
• That God would bless us with wisdom in training up our son in the way of the Lord.
• That we would find favor with the Ghanaian Court & US Embassy, & that the remainder of the process would go smooth.
• Brady won’t complain much during the 18 hour flights!

Praise & Thanks

Yesterday, we were happy to receive news from our agency, as well as photo updates of our son(which can't be posted until after court)! The investigation process is complete; which means we could possibly have a court date within a month. Praise & Thanks to the Lord for this exciting progress!

Update

We had expected to be in Africa by now, but delays have pushed back our time frame. The US Embassy in Ghana typically conducts an investigation of international adoptions. This is necessary to ensure that children aren't being trafficked and that the adoptions are legal. Last week, the Embassy in Ghana released a new policy in which the investigations will become more stringent. More stringent= More time (i.e. possibly up to an extra month or more). This is a good thing for the benefit of all involved. We, like most adoptive parents, don't want anything swept under the rug or done illegally. With all the current news reports of 'international adoptions gone wrong', its comforting to know that steps are being taken to ensure things are done right. We are not exactly sure of the ramifications this will have on our process. It could take a while before we leave, or we might have to make two trips, or both. Hopefully we will know more soon.

While we are excited and ready to meet our son, we know that God is working things out in his perfect timing. As I was reading in proverbs the other day, I came upon this timely scripture, "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." God is in control. We are not. I'm thankful for that! He is teaching us to depend less on ourselves and more on His sovereign loving direction. We rejoice in His guidance!

"Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be know to everyone. the Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything,but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7

On another note, we were able to send a letter and photo album to our son a few weeks ago, and have heard that he received it and was 'so happy'!

Adopted In Christ

As expected, the news of our adoption has sparked many a conversation. In discussing our desire to adopt, I am always eager to share the correlation of earthly adoption with our own adoption in Christ. However, I’ve begun to notice that this concept is somewhat foreign to most. The privilege of Christians being adopted into God’s eternal family is often understated and overlooked. God adopted us out of his immense love, as exemplified in 1 John 3:1- “See what love the Father has given us that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” It’s only when we realize how great the Father’s love is for us that are able to share that love with others.

So how does this vertical love (Father to us), translate into a horizontal love (us adopting orphans)? The answer is found in Ephesians. First, in Ephesians 1:4-5 we find that God planned the act of adoption before the world was created. “Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace.” God had adoption in mind from the beginning! Then in Ephesians 5:1, we find the correlation between the ‘vertical and horizontal’, when Paul
proclaims “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” As beloved children of God, what better way is there to imitate our Father in heaven than through our adoption of others?

For more on this thought check out this book by Russell Moore.




No updates yet on when we'll be leaving! We'll keep you posted!