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Category Archives: Adoption Preparation

China… and a little of this and that

To say my heart has been on a roller coaster these last few weeks is an understatement. So much revealed…so many things to pray about–and ultimately…Richard and I feel the Lord directing us in the direction He led us to 6 months ago. China. It’s hard for this momma to discern exactly what we are […]

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Kirsten - August 12, 2011 - 7:38 am

I’ve been lurking for a while, and have been enjoying your blog very much! Thank you for sharing your journey. I do think there are times when we want to say “yes,” but also hear God saying “wait.” We have been in two different adoption programs, considered a third, and also looked into foster care. Each time, somehow the door was closed. While I have longed for more children and have a heart for orphans, I am trusting that this just isn’t the time, that our son, as you put it, needs us a little bit more right now. In the meantime, I am trying to keep an open heart and an open ear to what God might have in store. It is sometimes frustrating, not knowing what the future will look like, but I am trying to trust. 🙂 Praying that the Lord continues to soften and mold our hearts, and to lead our families to the children he has chosen to put in our care.

Melissa Lazzara - August 12, 2011 - 8:48 am

I’ll be praying for you friend! It’s such a long hard road, but the end result is nothing short of miraculous (you know this already)… We fell in love with a little boy named Jacob while in Uganda 2 summers ago. I keep in touch with an “auntie” that works at his orphanage & it SO breaks my heart that he is still there! He was not adoptable & now he is, a few Ugandan families are apparently interested in adopting him, but nothing final yet. So there he sits, 3 years old STILL with no family and we had it in our hearts that he was ours. SO heartbreaking!! Now that adoption is in our hearts, it will be there forever. I was at a birthday party a few weeks ago & there was a foster mother there with her newest baby girl & the first thing I asked was, “Is she adoptable?” Bless you and your family!!!

emily v - August 12, 2011 - 8:48 am

Love your heart Andrea! So excited to see where the Lord leads your family…and especially WHO he leads your family to. I stand expectant with you for all that He will unfold in the days ahead…

EV

Alison - August 12, 2011 - 8:53 am

Love your heart for orphans and adoption, Andrea! Can’t wait to see who HE adds to your family!!!

Brantley - August 12, 2011 - 9:11 am

Oh my goodness I’m rolling in my own tears right now. I cannot begin to tell you how much I needed to read this post! I show my husband images… faces on the screen nightly. I want to bring them home…I would gladly say yes to ALL of them. But God has taught me so much these past couple of months about being STILL… listening to where He is calling us [US], our family! Its hard… its VERY hard… but I trust Him! Thank you for sharing… I needed to hear this this morning!

Elle J - August 12, 2011 - 11:45 am

I long for some of these answers myself – the “why” about closed doors. The “why” to different callings. Learning to see that we are all the body of Christ, each with a direction that He has for each of us. Accepting closed doors is hard – continuing to learn to keep listening and to be still, willing and ready to say Yes. Loved this post.

Kristi - August 12, 2011 - 4:21 pm

Andrea, A friend sent me here and I am so glad. We are going through a similar adoption decision right now. I can’t tell you how comforting to find someone who has traveled this same road. Please come by for a visit sometime! I’d love it if you said hello!

Blessings,
Kristi

Cassy - August 14, 2011 - 7:50 am

I’m excited to hear for more update about the adoption.
God bless you always.

Cassy from Guitar Made Easy

robyn - August 17, 2011 - 6:47 pm

jill douglas hathcock is a close friend of mine (and i was a sorority sister with your sister!) and told me about your blog a while back. so i’ve been reading off and on and just wanted you to know i’m encouraged on TONS of levels… but really excited watching this latest adoption journey. we are currently adopting from china too and love watching other families in the process 🙂 praying for how the rest of this unfolds!
robyn kown

He is faithful…

Turn off the music up top…and listen to this. Close your eyes…thinking of where you are right now–where you have been–where He has brought you…and let this song minister to your heart. I’m so excited about the upcoming

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Kristin - August 11, 2011 - 3:17 pm

Amazing song! Thanks so much for sharing! God is so faithful!

Kelly - August 11, 2011 - 5:19 pm

Can you tell us when registration is for the Created for Care retreat?!

Beth - August 11, 2011 - 5:27 pm

I know! This song just kills me every time I listen to it. I can’t listen without crying. I think of myself and how true it is that He has never left me alone. And then I think of who He has been to my children. I emailed the link to each of them– I am convinced that this song/truth can bring healing to their past as they accept it for themselves. So glad you are sharing it! I’m thinking we need to use it at Hope at Home 2011 and since my husband is one of the worship leaders I’m pretty sure I can make it happen! Thanks for sharing Hope at Home 2011 Andrea! It’s going to a great time and I’m so glad you and Richard will be teaming up with us. God is good!

Rory Cookman - August 11, 2011 - 7:41 pm

Love the song, and the Created for Care retreat sounds amazing. We haven’t brought our baby home yet, just barely on the waitlist. Is the retreat for mamas who already have their children home? No worries if it is, just thought I’d check and start planning early if it was open to us waiting mamas as well.
Love,
Rory

Rory Cookman - August 11, 2011 - 7:41 pm

Love the song, and the Created for Care retreat sounds amazing. We haven’t brought our baby home yet, just barely on the waitlist. Is the retreat for mamas who already have their children home? No worries if it is, just thought I’d check and start planning early if it was open to us waiting mamas as well.
Love,
Rory

Sarah McKinney - August 11, 2011 - 10:32 pm

Amazing song…. I have followed your blog for a little while now and love your heart for the orphan… my heart also is being stretched by the Lord more each day. We have adopted 3 children through foster care after the Lord called us to move here from the UK and now He is calling us to Uganda to adopt 2 more… I know I will be forever changed when my feet hit Ugandan soil… I am expecting Him to break my heart and know from what He has shown us so far that these adoptions are just the beginning of something much bigger, we await to see and step out in faith knowing that He goes before us… Thankyou sooo much for this blog and how much it echoes my hearts cry….

Sarah

a sweet welcome home video…

I just can’t stand not sharing this video as it was made by one of my dearest adoption momma friends Jenn Cooper. To say we have just a little bit in common–is an understatement. She is a kindred spirit through and through. Jenn and her husband were led to also adopt after their 3rd biological […]

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jenn - August 3, 2011 - 12:26 am

Thanks for sharing friend! And yes…the feelings are ALL mutual. I’m praying we’ll just continue down this path together for quite some time 😉 And SERIOUSLY. We have GOT to meet in person 😉

Jill - August 4, 2011 - 11:03 am

What a beautiful story of God’s love, grace, and faithfulness. Tears are streaming down my face after watching the journey of this family. Thank you for sharing!

Stacy - August 6, 2011 - 12:39 pm

Loved this! Thanks for sharing!

Seeing the beauty in waiting children

I’ve been MIA the last few days–and with a consistent writer like me–that usually means one of two things. Either something BIG has happened in our lives–OR something is heavy on my heart. It has been the latter of the two, and for me–this is a hard post to actually POST. But I am prayerful […]

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April - June 13, 2011 - 11:31 pm

We will join you in praying for Jaelynn!!! She is a beautiful girl and deserves a family. Our hearts ache with you for the children out there who are waiting. Best wishes to you in your journey to find a child who is meant to be with you. XOXO!!!

Kim - June 14, 2011 - 5:44 am

Be. Still. My. Heart.
Praying for Jaelynn from Hong Kong,
Kim

Jen - June 14, 2011 - 7:08 am

My husband and I are in the process of adopting two waiting children from Ghana. These siblings were on a list and immediately melted my heart. It is hard to go through the process knowing the children are waiting, they are old enough to see the world around them for what it is and I want them home now. We met them a couple of weeks ago, and I am confident that we are the ones that will be blessed by having these children join our family. I am glad we didn’t join a waiting list for a specific gender or age, God brought us these children after they were able to be loved by the birth mom for those crucial developmental years. They have bonded and they will bond again. I would encourage all adoptive families to pray for and search these waiting children. God will stir our hearts for the right child regardless of any disability, age or gender.

sarah - June 14, 2011 - 8:28 am

I love your blog and read it frequently. We adopted a waiting child from Ch*na in November 2010. She is the sweetest little girl and our lives have been changed because of her. I think about our first SN list, we were so conservative. I read so many stories of these waiting kiddos and realized that SN do not define a child. I was so scared of the CL/CP need, but I felt God telling me our child would have this. So, we revised our list including many more needs. A month later, we had our little girl with cl/cp and VSD. All her surgeries are complete and she is living a happy, healthy life with a FAMILY. Next time we adopt, we will be even more open to different needs as our perspective has changed greatly!!!! Good luck! We had an amazing experience with our adoption from Ch*na.

Kim - June 14, 2011 - 9:00 am

Andrea. Admittedly, I have remained too silent about my thoughts and feelings regarding waiting children and families that HAVE opened their hearts, hands and homes and yet sit at 100+ on a waiting list. It is simply something I cannot wrap my head around let alone my heart. Having our 4 yr old join our family and looking at the giftedness God has given her for His Glory (as He has so given each of these precious children) my heart struggles. With the slow downs in Ethiopia that will undoubtedly have a lasting impact, I see a waiting 11 or 12 yr old girl and think…”this precious one who longs for a family is potentially the birth mother of the families that are sitting on a huge list.” And I just ask God to change hearts as only He can do.

Dawn - June 14, 2011 - 7:01 pm

Very well written- can totally see God’s Heart!!!

There is sooo much need for all adoptions from everywhere. In fact for those who feel that adopting an infant isn’t enough- let me tell you- it is! Our Joanna would have gone into foster care if we hadn’t been ready and willing within a day to go get her! Why- because she has dark skin- make you want to vomit- it should!!!

And I am all about older children really desiring a home!!! My heart breaks for them. I hear them in my heart crying out. So please if this is where you are called don’t ignore that!!!!!!

She is soo very beautiful- and I will be praying!!!

***Also for anyone reading this – speaking of a need there is a boy sibling group of 3- ages 3,4,5 that need a home now. If you want more information go to my blog, and go to my e-mail. They have been on my heart and I really know God has a home -wish it were mine, but I know it can’t be right now 🙁
So if you would mind praying for them- I would really love it!

Thank you Andrea for your heart felt post! God is WORKING!!!

Shelly - June 15, 2011 - 8:14 am

Andrea, you said it so well. This post is humble, gentle and full of truth. Just like you.

Rory Cookman - June 15, 2011 - 1:33 pm

Wow. Thought provoking and heart moving post. I think it’s really great that you are causing people (us included) to double check God’s plan, to investigate further, and be willing to go wherever God leads to bring children home, not just sign up on a waitlist because that’s what everyone is doing. I can totally see your heart in all of this, so I hope this comment doesn’t come off as rude or insensitive because that’s totally not how I mean it!:) It’s just hard sometimes to read some of these posts (from various folks) and want to help EVERYWHERE and yet know that God has specifically told us to get in line for Ethiopia. (And not that I get this sense from you, but sometimes I get it from others that there is almost a judgment towards those on a wait list…which I totally understand they probably don’t mean it that way, but it still hurts a bit. I hope this is coming across the way I mean it and not defensively!:)) In my rational mind I hate the idea of being on a wait list, but we know that’s where God has called us to go for this adoption. I know you probably went through this when you guys were waiting for Isaac too, so I think you totally get where I’m coming from. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I am compelled to always go where the need is “greatest” in my heart and mind…I mean honestly that would probably send me to the Congo or Sudan right now or to adopt a down syndrome sweetheart from Russia…but my point being that it’s hard for me to sit back and feel like others might look at our adoption journey with any sort of disdain (don’t know if that’s the right word to use–and again I don’t think you’re doing that, just got me thinking of all the posts I’ve seen from others regarding this issue recently.) And I guess I sometimes I want to respond to those posts by saying, “Isn’t God the only one who can determine where the greatest need is? And aren’t all orphans in need?” Well, shoot, this comment feels like I’m trying to hijack your blog. So sorry! Keep the great posts coming. I know God is using them.
Love,
Rory

Teresa - July 13, 2011 - 7:52 pm

I found your blog by searching for Jaelynn at Maria’s Big House of Hope. My 18 year old daughter was part of a Show Hope group that went to MBOH on June 17th. She came home changed and head over heels in love with Jaelynn. We have been praying for Jaelynn and whether or not our family could be the answer for Jaelynn’s forever family. My husband is a pastor and we have asked our church family to also pray for her and for a forever family.
The website link I listed is my daughters blog and has her journals from her trip to MBOH.