our adventure has begun...

Warning......VERY long post. Very. But, stick it out. It is worth it :) 

I can vividly remember sitting in our college minister's office in May of 2000 next to Mitch. He was going to be marrying us in a few months and wanted to make sure that Mitch and I were on the same page before he did. We filled out questionnaires and personality tests, we discussed our answers and expectations of our marriage. What we wanted and didn't want. How long we wanted to wait to have kids, and how many kids we wanted to have. And, surprisingly, we were on the same page for most things. We wanted to wait at least 2 years (preferably 3) before we even started trying (I was only 21 at the time...) and then we would have 2 perfect kids nicely spread apart....and then be done.

Well, not many of those things that were discussed in "pre-marital counseling" happened quite the way we envisioned. Cause, well.....they were our plans.

We got pregnant with Brody only a little over a year after getting married. Then when he was 9 months old (and I was on birth control.....warning! warning! it is possible!!) we got pregnant with Addie. Then, we thought we were done (Brody was 5 and Addie was 4) we were surprised with a pregnancy....then a miscarriage....then another pregnancy.....then another miscarriage (all unplanned).

We had given up. No more we thought. Brody and Addie are perfect and enough! Then shortly after we made that decision (hahaha), Sam came into our lives and rocked our world. I always thought two kids couldn't possibly be that different than three.....I was wrong. It got super crazy around here. And super perfect. My three kids are unbelievable. And I love that they are mine. But, I really was done this time. I got so sick with Sam and didn't have easy pregnancies the other times around either. So, no more pregnancies. No more babies.

Then..............

God started moving in my heart. He led us to sponsor a child through Compassion International. He showed me how tender my own children's hearts were to the suffering of other children around the world. He led me to this blog and these posts where I followed a woman's journey into the depths of poverty and despair to show me a world beyond my own. He led me to this book through this sweet friend and showed me that the life I had convinced myself I needed and deserved, was not the life God intended for me. For any believer. Our small attempt of living the American Dream was not our desire anymore. While reading that book this last spring/early summer, the thought that had briefly danced through our heads earlier in our marriage reappeared.......adoption.  I thought about it all the time. God had stirred in my heart and that was it. I was ready. God had spoken to me and said that adoption was in our future. I didn't know how. I didn't know if that meant helping someone else adopt or us adopt ourselves, but I knew that I could never look back.
Now.....Mitch on the other hand. He wasn't quite as convinced. He's always the logical one. The one that speaks reality to me. The one that remembers that we have this half-done house right now and three kids and a limited budget. But, he is also the one that never says no to a calling. And not that long after God gave me a peace about it, He gave Mitch one as well.

So.........

This brings us to today. After much prayer and lots of talking, we are beginning the long process of international adoption. We are applying to adopt a little girl from Ethiopia!!

Questions????....

Why a girl? I can't explain that one so much, except that that is our desire. And I just think Addie would be the most incredible big sister to a sweet little girl ever!

Why Ethiopia? I have done lots of research on needy countries and their stand on adoption and their relationship with American adoption agencies. I have read lots of blogs and articles about international adoption. And God kept bringing me back to Ethiopian statistics (there are over 5 MILLION orphans in Ethiopia, 10% of children die before their 1st birthday, only 28% of children have access to drinking water, and it goes on and on). And more specifically God brought me back again and again to pictures and videos of a specific orphanage with just the most beautiful children you have ever seen. So, our hearts said "Ethiopia". And that was it.

How much will it cost?
It will probably cost us somewhere between $28,000- $35,000. Yep, that's not a typo. And if you know us, you know that's cRaZy money. Insane. BUT......I know that God will fund something that is in His plan. And that's what adoption is. HIS plan. One of the biggest moments I had while reading "Radical" was this......we as believers are meant to do more than live out the Christian's version of the American dream. We are God's plan for spreading the gospel to the nations. We are God's plan for taking care of the widows. The homeless. And the orphans. And there is no Plan B.
So, I know that God will provide this. I don't know how. Looking at the cost layout of everything (which I will try and post another day) is scary. It's intimidating. BUT, we don't have to pay it all at once. There are a million different steps and each step requires a different amount.

What's your plan for the cost?
Prayer. Hardy, life-changing prayer. And as hard as it is for us to say this, donations. Lots of them. We have some ideas for some different fundraisers that we still need to work through. But, right now, we are just praying. I want God to show us what to do. I know that He wants to be praised in all of this, so it will not be any of our doing.....cause that's the way He works, to keep us humble. I can only imagine how evident it will be that we had nothing to do with the $30,000 it will take to bring our daughter home, and I am excited. Acutally giddy might be a better word. And I don't ever use that word. Ever. I can't wait to see it all unfold.

What can you do to help us bring our daughter home?
Pray. Please pray. Pray for wisdom. Pray for Mitch to have the time and finances to finish our addition. (We have to have it done for our home study that has to take place later on in the process). Pray for faith and patience. If I could, I would fly to Addis Ababa right now and bring a child home. But, I know that that is not God's timing. This could be a long road, or could be a surprisingly short one. But, I want to remain faithful and patient throughout the process.
Suggestions. Do you have any? Can you help us think of ways to raise money? Do you know of foundations that support or give scholarships to adopting families?
Donations. Yes, friends. We need your help. It is so hard to ask for this. Seriously. We don't do this. Like ever. But, if you can, in any way, help us bring our daughter home, please do. Even if it's $10. That is $10 closer to saving our child from an overflowing orphanage in an impoverished area and bringing her to our arms.
Spread the word.  We are going to need as many people as we can get to back us in prayer and financially.


We are so crazy excited about this. ALL of us (well, maybe not Sam, cause....well, you know. He's 2).
We are eager to get started. First step is to finish the application for the Ethiopian program. We have started it, and will need $250 to send in with it. We are not even close to having that yet. But, we will. God willing.

I will be posting on this blog frequently. Please become a "follower" (it's not always a bad thing ) and check back for updates on our progress and for specific needs you can be praying about.

I am so stinkin excited to start this journey. And I'm most excited about the fact that we are not doing it alone.  I think when she (whoever she is, wherever she is) finally comes to her forever home.....she will have a huge family. :)

Thank you for bearing with me and reading this novel of a post. There was just so much to say. I love you all.