It's Time!!

Deuteronomy 7:9

  Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those

 who love him and obey his commands.

Great News! We have our official referral! 
I am so thankful for His faithfulness and that we can bring glory
to Him through our story and journey! Only God could write a story as beautiful as ours!
At the end of this month, I will be traveling to meet and hold my boys for the first time!
I cannot tell you how my heart is bursting with love and anticipation for these little guys.
I cannot wait to hold them ~one or two at a time! 
I do have a little experience with holding two at a time! 

I remember back in August when their pictures first came across my desk.
I knew, I just knew there was something about them. I didn't know what it was at first, and I
definitely didn't think that we would be adopting them as we were already planning to go back to
Ethiopia. But God led us to a place we never would have imagined. As Roger and I talked one day about "what in the world was God doing" I think he summed it up perfectly. He described it like this... "It is like God is leading us down a long hallway. He has a specific room that he is taking us to. We are excited and believe that we know exactly where we are going. Then, out of the blue God takes a turn in the completely opposite direction that we thought!" That was exactly how I felt too. We both knew that God was leading this journey. We were both willing to follow Him wherever He wanted us to go and do whatever He would ask of us! I am so amazed at my husband's heart and willingness to follow God on this journey and lead me in this new and unfamiliar area of special needs adoption! (I am not always the easiest person to lead.... )

  As soon as we began the paperwork and got the ball rolling they were mine! I held them in my
heart. I kept their pictures on the fridge and at my desk and in my purse. As our journey began
to unfold, I knew I was their mommy! I knew that I already loved them with a mothers heart.

It is hard to explain what it feels like when you begin an adoption journey and have this love for this little person or people that you have never seen or touched. But God does something in your heart. He is love and He gives us the ability to love because He first loved us!

What I didn't know was how God would change my heart for them. I cannot explain it fully, but something changed about a month ago. I suppose it could be like when you are pregnant and you start to feel your baby moving inside of you for the first time. Those subtle, but intentional movements inside of you. Something changed in my heart. God placed and grew this desire all along in my heart for the boys, but about a month ago, it turned into a longing and yearning for them. For them to be with me... and for me to be with them. I know now that He was preparing me and my heart for the news of our official referral and the first trip to see them!


I will be traveling the first week in April to meet our boys! I cannot even begin to express to you how my heart is bursting for them! Roger will be staying back this trip and one of my dear friends Amy, will be traveling with me. She will be a wonderful travel companion and one who has a heart for the orphan and a passion to see each and every one placed with a loving family! 

There is much to do to prepare our families for our absence! Schedules to plan, meals to prepare, and much needed time for each of us to just be together with our families before our trip. We would ask that you please keep us in your prayers as we prepare! If you would still like to help with donations for the children at David and Jonathans orphanage we would welcome them! 
Please contact me via the comments on the blog or privately.



I am so excited to meet our boys and I look forward to sharing it with you all who have been such a wonderful support for our family and for David and Jonathan!

Thankfully,

In His Embrace,

laurie