Day 38: Getting ready to go back

In 2 short days I will be returning to those precious Eastern European boys of ours for what, Lord willing, will be our last trip and the beginning of bringing them HOME!!!  Once again I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at home but once again I have missed those boys with a desperate longing to be with them.  I have been especially sad about not being able to see Joey and I pray that I will be able to see him when I return.  Making 3 trips to their country is not at all how we thought this was all going to work out.  We really thought Tyler would make 2 trips and I would stay the entire time.  Haha, that's what we get for making plans, and didn't God warn us about that..."Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow..."  


It has been a busy time here at home, if you have left us a message or sent us an email, chances are they have gone unreturned.  I just cannot seem to keep up with the calls I need to return, the emails and messages I need to respond to, and sadly the thanks you's I so desperately need to say.  Please accept my sincere apology if you have not heard from me or received a thank you, I am so very sorry.  I hope to catch up soon.


And boy am I full of thank you's!  Some very kind friends did a Pampered Chef/Premier Design fund raiser for us.  I cannot thank you enough for doing the fund raiser (I know how much time and effort you put into it) and also to all those who attended and donated!  I am humbled by your heart to serve and help!!!  And the checks that show up in the mail...you have me in tears almost daily!  I want so badly to list all of you by name here and sing your praises, but once again I will leave the praises and rewards to God.  But please know each and every one of you are so loved and appreciated!!!  And the MANY nameless donors we don't even know about...it's almost too much to take in.  I look at the total that has been donated and I am blown away...I wish I had more eloquent words but I am just simply blown away.  


We have not even once had to worry about money.  I cannot tell you how that comforts an adopting family!!!  As hard as this process has already been, the hard part has not even begun.  The hard part will be bringing them home and those days, weeks, months, and years of adjusting, testing, bonding, treating, and healing at home.  To not have to worry about paying off loans or credit cards during that time is an amazing blessing!!!!  Thank you to each and every one of you who have donated!


I will say it a million times, we could not do this without your donations and prayers!


The other day Tyler and I finally had a second to update our spreadsheet tracking how much we have spent on this adoption.  When we looked at how much we have spent and how much has been donated, can you believe the totals were within $200 of each other.  Is that God or what?!?!  Not too much and not too little...just what is needed to rescue the boys!  Brings to mind Proverbs 30:8 "...give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me."  I mean come on...within $200...


We continue to sing His praises...for setting this road before us and equipping us (as broken and miserably flawed as we are) for the work.  This has been a season of great dependance on God.  A season of failure and forgiveness, falling away and recommitment, lack and equipping, heavy doses of the Holy Spirit and a lot of growth.  We have certainly learned the difference between reading scripture and LIVING scripture!  Scripture at times has been our only source of assurance and confidence.  Never before have we clung so tightly to God's word and to His promises...and He never disappoints does He?!?!  Like I said, we know the really tough days are yet to come, but God has given us this season of dependance, growth, preparation, miracles, and promises kept to sustain us during the hard times ahead.  Do I say it enough...He is so good!  And I think I have said it before but we really do appreciate and hang on every comment you guys leave and every email or message we receive.  They too are encouraging words we can turn to when the hard days come.  Thank you for that!!!


So hopefully I will be back to daily blogging when I get back to their country.  Next week will be full of paperwork...changing their birth certificates and the equivalent of social security numbers and getting their passports.  If everything goes as our facilitator says we should have passports by the 4th and then all we will need is visas from the US Embassy which requires a medical exam and LOTS of paperwork.  Tyler will be joining me in country for the Embassy part and then Lord willing we will be bringing them home on the 7th.  We already booked flights home for the 7th (to try to get reasonable fares and to be able to get 4 seats together) so we are really hoping it will all work out.


I know it would be very easy for all of you to get tired of reading our posts and praying for us, so we thank you as we ask for continued prayers that we would be able to see Joey and for the process to work out and we could come home by the 7th.