First, thank you sweet friends for praying for us…and now celebrating with us that we have a court date…JUST TWO WEEKS AWAY! HOOT! I’m so excited!!! Please pray with us that by God’s miraculous hand that we pass the first time! How we feel your prayers! How we are humbled and so appreciate for them!!! […]
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Category Archives: Adoption Preparation Romans 12: 9-15, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s […] I cannot imagine what it feels like to look at a picture of your child and not be able to have him in your arms. TOO HARD! Praying that God brings you more peace during this time. I appreciate your vulnerability and openness about your struggles. Love you!! You are on FIRE as HIS light is RADIATING from you sweet friend! such a heartfelt post! I love seeing your heart as you go through this journey to isaac :)) I ache with you!!! Isn’t it great to really understand God’s adoption of us on a whole new level!!!! Can’t WAIT- to see your ache end- and have Isaac in your arms!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Andrea – Ever since the Bible study shower, I haven’t stopped thinking of you or sweet Isaac. I can only imagine how much you ache for him because as your friend – I desperately am aching for you to have him home! I know as friends we are called to bear one anothers burdens and I just want you to know what a PRIVILEGE and BLESSING it has been to ache like this for and with you. You have inspired me, and our family, in ways you can’t imagine through your adoption story, so thank you for putting this beautiful ache in our hearts. I pray God will use it to transform our lives and our family’s story in the days to come. Mourning with you! My Josiah says that too and I AGREE..it is taking too long. Re-surrendered everything yesterday…picked it back up today thinking 4 more days until courts close for what feels like an eternity. OK..done whining:-) Have the Orphan Summit planning to keep me busy. Thinking you guys must not have gotten a table:-( Praying earnestly for a court date for you. The bible asks us to knock continually…and HE WILL ANSWER! I love that. I love that we are INSTRUCTED to ASK HIM for the desires of our hearts OVER and OVER and OVER again. He WANTS to hear about what we want. And he wants to give us “good things”. WOW. You have so many HUGE blessings coming your way girl!!! Jenn You ARE such a great friend! I know we haven’t even met, but I always appreciate what you have to say. When I am frustrated with how long something is taking, you can completely relate but still have that hope to offer me by showing me how God has written your perfect story! And then you rejoice with me when we hit that milestone! Thank you. Praying with you that Isaac is home sooo soon! Don’t you love when I write an attention grabbing title like that one;)? Over the past few weeks, I have received countless emails from families persuing adoptions who, sadly, do not have the support and encouragement of their friends and family. Most recently, I got a comment from an other adoption friend mommy requesting I […] Thank you so much for this. I was one of the comments whose family didn’t want us to make this “mistake”. It’s hard not to take it personally when people make stupid comments about adoption, but you are right, it’s not our job to change their hearts. It’s our job to pray. Between you and our pastor, you guys are really answering some big questions. Today’s sermon was on “When God says ‘wait’ for” That’s another one for another day!;) AMEN0- there should be NO ????’s When you read scripture- it is so clear- Love this post!!!! Ephesians 1:5 He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ,in accordance with His pleasure and will. I have read and reread this!! Thank you!!!! I want to know exactly what you would say to someone who questions you about “color”. I think you should write a book!!! I am sure there are so many out there that really need these words!! I know God led me to your blog!! God bless! 🙂 Hi! So excited for your little family. We came home with our fourth almost 8 months ago through AGCI. Our families are similar (we even have an Isaac!), and I loved your most recent post- couldn’t agree more! Hope to keep up with the end of your journey- Leah wow, girl…what a great post!!! Amen, kj Eph 1:5 is our daughter’s verse…love what it says about God’s love for US! =) Great post! Thank you Andrea, you nailed it! I am passing your blog link along. Even if she never convinces her family, your words of wisdom will help give her confidence/comfort in knowing that by adopting, SHE IS is living the gospel! Amen and AMEN! Oh how I’ve missed your words of wisdom! 😉 I wish I could get the pastor’s notes that he did his sermon on Orphan Sunday with. Referencing exactly how many times the Bible tells of of HIS great love for orphans and the command to care for them, and adoption. There’s no greater example of His love for us. Here is a GREAT resource from Tapestry–41 videos empowering you to better raise adopted/fostered children: http://www.vimeo.com/tapestry. You can visit the Tapestry website here: http://tapestry.irvingbible.org/ Bookmark this site as it’s a great resource for anyone who has adopted or is considering adopting or fostering! Be blessed! Thanks dear! Much appreciated! We are going to an intense pilot training for part of this curriculum during the summer for Tapestry!!! It’s 8 weeks long and is going to be AWESOME!!! BTW, are you coming to Summit??? I thought that question might get your attention. Either you’ve adopted or you’re adopting—and you’ve been asked this question and not quite known how to explain…you have felt strange answering it…or the question just caught you off guard. You’ve started to talk about your child’s birth mother and then stopped…or chosen not to, because you […] Love, love, love this.. thanks for putting it into words! You never cease to amaze me. I am not eloquent – but my heart aches to express itself the way you just did! I have been struggling with how to answer that exact question – we live in an area that is not particularly adoption/giving/others oriented. Our family and close friends are extremely supportive, but I am been struggling with all the other responses that we get – why, don’t you have enough, where is the money coming from, why don’t you just write a check, you are taking a baby from its mother?, etc… Andrea – it is amazing to me how you are constantly writing exactly what is in my heart. would you mind if I used this post on my blog? and I wanted to tell you – the cd that you sent – Our God is so big – only He could have had you choose that one, the one that included my life verse (Isaiah 40:31):) seeds of encouragement. I know that He just smiling at me – thinking “yep, my daughter, I know what you need and when you need it!” our Awe-inspiring God!!! I am crying!!! Wish I could copy this for my families!! But you gave me courage to go on!!! Thank you!!!! As we are preparing to embark on the adoption journey nothing has been more shocking to me than people’s reactions. I read several adoption blogs, and I’ve never read about people, namely Christians, responding so bizarrely to adoption. Typically after I tell someone we are hoping to adopt our next child I get one of the following answers: I have been here too many times with the same people who I would think would “get it” automatically. It literally hurts my heart that the ones that i want to be so excited about their children trying to follow God’s will for their lives are having the hardest time with them adopting. I would think our Christian parents would understand the most, but it seems they understand the least. Beautiful, inspired words. Encouragement for me today as we journey through a risk adopt. Not all understand why we would expose ourselves to the risk of possible heartbreak at the end. The answer is that God called us to this and we listened. We trust and we are blessed now and forever regardless if the outcome is favorable in human eyes. In God’s eyes all will be well and our souls will be blest. Thank you for pouring out your heart to encourage us. I can’t wait to read your inspiring journey to Isaac. You have always been connected with his birthmother. Andrea ,you my dear are a Sister in Christ ! You understand God’s will ..the Holy Spirit ‘s gentle tug in your heart and whispher in your ear…you and your family are lights ! True love of Isaac’s birth momma is letting go and allowing you and your family and your friends and church to help him grow to be the young boy and man God has intended him to be…His plan is His plan and you are obedient and so has his birth momma been obedient to His will. We continue to lift you all in our prayers. Speechless, once again. =) I witnessed 16 people from Hindu upbringing accept Christ today through Baptism!! I saw a man about the age of my father raise his hands to Heaven upon exiting the baptismal rejoicing in his New Life with Christ. Tears are still pouring from me with joy and love. I came home after an emotional – positive – exhilarating service to read your beautiful post. God is every where, working in the lives of sooo many. I am thankful to be surrounded by God’s beauty every where I turn. Thank you, Lord, for the new believers and for all the adoptive families, for the birth moms’ who trust in You, for the children who are under Your care to start anew wrapped in Your glory through adoption. Thank you, Andrea, too, for shinning your light and giving a voice. Hugs. WOW! What a well written post!!!! AMAZING & SOOO TRUE. I am that other mommy to 4 other birth mommies……and my heart is a part of theirs forever. It is truly a miracle just like the whole adoption process…..just like all 8 of our beautiful babies….and we are not called to judge or worry- we are called to adopt. To do our best to help others in so many different ways! I think about and pray for my girls’ birth moms every day. And wonder how very different life would be for all of us if their birth moms would have made the decision to parent them. awesome post…one of my favs!!!! You’ve got the gift of writing, girly!! 🙂 kj Andrea, you are such a blessing. I guess my biggest challenge was to convince people that I was Sam’s real mommy. No, I did not give birth to him, a very brave 17 year old girl did that. She is his birth mother. I am now and will forever be his mommy even though he didn’t grow in my womb. Sam was grown in my heart and only God could place him there. So, even though he has a birth mother, he couldn’t be any more mine if I had given birth to him myself. Isaac is yours and has been part of God’s plan for you from the very beginning. I can’t wait for you to hold him in your arms and give him the love that only a mommy (birth or adopted) can give him. I love you and am praying for you daily! Andrea – I LOVE this post…absolutely love it. I find myself so many times…being asked about birth mothers, told we’re crazy for having four kids,asked wouldn’t it be better to send money. You covered it all and so well! I ran into your sister at PCBC the other day and she said you received your referral – so I’m trying to spend some time reading your blog to catch up on that. Congratulations! Your heart for the Lord and your spirit of serving him is both refreshing and encouraging! I would love to copy this post to share with others – if you don’t mind? Really…you covered it all. |
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by admin
So this is what I’m wondering; I was talking to a lady from AGCI about the new 2 trip thing and she explained that instead of having a Hannah’s Hope person represent you in court, you just appear yourself. So what happens if people travel and DON’T pass the first time? Can a HH staffer represent them for another court date?
SOO Excited & praying for another miracle & you will travel soon!!!!
SOOO excited for you and thrilled to be a part of praying your baby home!
Love & Blessings from Hong Kong,
Kim
@ Lara, yes, someone from AGCI would represent you the second time.
Andrea, I have a feeling you’ll pass court on the 13th!
PRAYING sooo hard you pass the first time!