When I put Avery to bed tonight Cooper came in her room and cuddled up with her and asked if he could say her prayers. His prayer... "Jesus thank you for today, thank you for my sister Avery and everyone you created in this world. Thank you for what you have done for us and thank you for my baby sister Ella. Jesus help her to be safe and bring her home to us quick. Love you Jesus. Amen." Out of the mouth of my six year old! He spoke my heart! With tears in my eyes I tucked them both into bed and couldn't help but think how blessed I am to be their mother.... and how blessed I am to know Ella's sweet face. And one day soon, I will be able to hold her and kiss her and tuck my sweet little precious Ella Hope into bed as well. God is so faithful and I can't even began to paint the picture through words of the journey we've been on over the last few days.
Friday morning I got an email from Karla (Lifeline's amazing China adoption coordinator). It was from the night before and asked if I was up and could talk. Of course in the back of my head I was thinking... this is it, but I tried my best not to get my hopes up. I knew it was morning in China so she must have some kind of news emailing me at 10:30 at night. I sent her an email back and we finally got time to talk Friday around 10:00 am. She told me we had a file to review but it was not for a special need we had originally requested, but it was for a little girl 18 months old. That in and of itself sold me so I asked her to send it to us. Brandon was out of the state working and I was at school but I opened it to find a little-bitty black and white photo and a lot of chinese paper work! That is how it began.
Over the next 36 hours Brandon and I talked and continually prayed for wisdom and guidance. I wished I could say it was a quick and easy decision but it wasn't our decision, it was HIS! At the beginning of our journey we claimed the verse Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what you Hope for, and certain of what you do not see." We truly are living that verse.
Last night we worked with Karla and submitted our letter of intent. We will not be officially matched for about two weeks until we receive our pre-approval status but I feel pretty confident and safe in saying she is ours!
We celebrated this morning at church with family and friends. God is so good. He makes everything beautiful in His time and if you seek Him first He will give you the desires of your heart. Our pastor preached this morning on Hebrews 11:1. See why I know God is in the middle of this. :) Faith makes us Act!!! When we have everything in our lives figured out then it's not faith. Faith is trusting in God and allowing Him to work all things out. Faith frees us from bondage. Hebrew 11:13.
Today our Faith is in Him. We have Hope for the future through Him and Peace that passes all understanding. We worship and praise him for bringing Ji Le Huan ~ Ella Le Hope Greer into our lives and can't wait for the day we can bring her home.
I am physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted and overjoyed from this weekend. I will post more details about our sweet Ella in the next few days. Please pray specifically that she will get all the care and love she possible can until she can come home to us! Thanks friends!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
The Waiting Place
If you have ever read the book "Oh The Places You Will Go" by Dr. Seuss, you will understand when I say we are in "The Waiting Place." Everything is in order for us to receive a referral. In unadoption terms, the file on a child waiting to be adopted and it contains all of their information including medical conditions. Once you receive the file we have 48 hours to accept and then you are "matched." Once that takes place then you go into yet another phase in getting ready to bring your sweet little one home. We are waiting for the email letting us know they have found a child that can be placed in our home.
In the adoption journey everyone's process looks so different. I have yet to hear of any two being the same. With that being said I do not know how long we will be staying in, "The Waiting Place" but hopefully not to long because this part is killing me! Once a month a shared list comes out and we hold our breath to see if they have a referral for us. It is kind of like that morning you wake up to take a pregnancy test and you have to hold your breath to see if it is yes or no and if it's no.... it's another month. We did not get matched in June so hopefully when the list comes out in July it will be a YES! This is all in God's timing but knowing she is somewhere out there on the other side of the world needing her mommy.... it kills me. Pray for her protection and pray someone out their is loving sweet Ella until she is home with us. We have her room painted and waiting. We just need her home! "The Waiting Place" is not much fun so please pray that this part goes quickly.
In the adoption journey everyone's process looks so different. I have yet to hear of any two being the same. With that being said I do not know how long we will be staying in, "The Waiting Place" but hopefully not to long because this part is killing me! Once a month a shared list comes out and we hold our breath to see if they have a referral for us. It is kind of like that morning you wake up to take a pregnancy test and you have to hold your breath to see if it is yes or no and if it's no.... it's another month. We did not get matched in June so hopefully when the list comes out in July it will be a YES! This is all in God's timing but knowing she is somewhere out there on the other side of the world needing her mommy.... it kills me. Pray for her protection and pray someone out their is loving sweet Ella until she is home with us. We have her room painted and waiting. We just need her home! "The Waiting Place" is not much fun so please pray that this part goes quickly.
Blessed Beyond Measure
The post is a long time over due. We have had a summer packed with lots of activities and I simply haven't taken the time to update the blog. We first want to tell you how blessed we are to be part of an awesome Sunday School class at North Glencoe Baptist Church. They hosted the Zumbathon and Silent Auction and it was a successful night. We raised over $700 and had a lot of fun! We are truly blessed to be apart of such a wonderful group. We can't say thank you enough to them for their support and friendship. If you are looking for a Sunday School class, come join us!Also thank you to our NGBC family. You are incredible and we would not be where we are today without your unconditional love and support!
We would also like to thank Chanel Thomas of Bare Your Cross. (You can find her on facebook.) She has generously donated a group of beautiful crosses for us to sale with all the proceeds going to the adoption. She is a special friend and we were truly overwhelmed by her generosity. If you would like to purchase a cross you can find out more information on my facebook page- Meredith Greer.
We received a letter last week about a grant we applied for back in April, Show Hope is giving us $5,000 to help with funds for the adoption. This organization is already dear to my heart because of my sweet friend Rebecca who is serving at Maria's Big House of Hope. They have helped in blessing so many children and adults over the years and I never dreamed that we too would be included in this family of blessings. God has truly used this organization to further His kingdom.
I know that God is truly in control of this journey and His hand is on this entire process. He knows the plans He has for us and He is directing our path. When we first set out on this journey I explained to a friend how I knew this was His plan but did not know financially how we could do it when it cost over $30,000. She simply smiled and said, "you will be amazed and the financial issues will not be the things that keep you up at night." I laughed to myself at that time and thought, yeah right, she doesn't know what's in my bank account. But I can honestly stand here and say she was right and with God ALL things are possible even what seems like isn't possible at all. There will always be people who stand in your way and those casting judgment on any choice you make, but I know from this experience that God will always show up and show you a way out, even if it is through a small window, IF you let him be the center of your life.
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7: 7-8
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. The you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord." Jeremiah 29: 11-14
We would also like to thank Chanel Thomas of Bare Your Cross. (You can find her on facebook.) She has generously donated a group of beautiful crosses for us to sale with all the proceeds going to the adoption. She is a special friend and we were truly overwhelmed by her generosity. If you would like to purchase a cross you can find out more information on my facebook page- Meredith Greer.
We received a letter last week about a grant we applied for back in April, Show Hope is giving us $5,000 to help with funds for the adoption. This organization is already dear to my heart because of my sweet friend Rebecca who is serving at Maria's Big House of Hope. They have helped in blessing so many children and adults over the years and I never dreamed that we too would be included in this family of blessings. God has truly used this organization to further His kingdom.
I know that God is truly in control of this journey and His hand is on this entire process. He knows the plans He has for us and He is directing our path. When we first set out on this journey I explained to a friend how I knew this was His plan but did not know financially how we could do it when it cost over $30,000. She simply smiled and said, "you will be amazed and the financial issues will not be the things that keep you up at night." I laughed to myself at that time and thought, yeah right, she doesn't know what's in my bank account. But I can honestly stand here and say she was right and with God ALL things are possible even what seems like isn't possible at all. There will always be people who stand in your way and those casting judgment on any choice you make, but I know from this experience that God will always show up and show you a way out, even if it is through a small window, IF you let him be the center of your life.
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7: 7-8
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. The you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord." Jeremiah 29: 11-14
Here are a few pictures from the Zumbathon and Silent Auction!
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