Eight months ago our dossier made its way across the ocean and all the way to Ethiopia (DTE, Dossier To Ethiopia). A lot of you ask how the adoption is going. Well, just like a pregnancy has its nine months of waiting, we too are anxiously waiting to meet our son. The waiting time for a referral is estimated at around 10-16 months.
Meanwhile, when things seem to be moving very slowly, God is at work. He amazes us with His faithfulness to His word. He continues to provide financially as well. Last month we received two large grants totalling more than $4000.00. WOW!
Two years ago, this adoption adventure was like Everest to us, unsurmountable. But with the God of the universe as our personal chauffeur everything seem so easily doable.
To God be the glory!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
Deja 8 mois!
Aujourd'hui nous celebrons!
Deja huit mois que notre dossier a traverse l'Atlantique et franchit l'Ethiopie. Beaucoup d'entre vous se demandent ou nous en sommes avec notre adoption. Et bien voila, nous sommes dans la periode d'attente. Tout comme pour une grossesse, c'est le temps ou nous attendons avec impatience de rencontrer notre peti garcon. Notre temps d'attente est estime de 10-16 mois. Par la suite nous devrions recevoir une proposition pour notre dossier.
Pendant ce temps, meme quand rien ne semble bouger, Dieu est a l'oeuvre. Il nous epatte par sa fidelite a sa parole. Il continue de pourvoir financierement aussi. Le mois passe nous avons recu deux dons cummulants plus de 4000$. WoW!
Il y a presque deux ans maintenant, ce projet etait a nos yeux semblable au mont Everest, insurmontable. Mais avec le Dieu de l'univers comme chauffeur tout semble facilement attaignable.
A Dieu soit la gloire!
Deja huit mois que notre dossier a traverse l'Atlantique et franchit l'Ethiopie. Beaucoup d'entre vous se demandent ou nous en sommes avec notre adoption. Et bien voila, nous sommes dans la periode d'attente. Tout comme pour une grossesse, c'est le temps ou nous attendons avec impatience de rencontrer notre peti garcon. Notre temps d'attente est estime de 10-16 mois. Par la suite nous devrions recevoir une proposition pour notre dossier.
Pendant ce temps, meme quand rien ne semble bouger, Dieu est a l'oeuvre. Il nous epatte par sa fidelite a sa parole. Il continue de pourvoir financierement aussi. Le mois passe nous avons recu deux dons cummulants plus de 4000$. WoW!
Il y a presque deux ans maintenant, ce projet etait a nos yeux semblable au mont Everest, insurmontable. Mais avec le Dieu de l'univers comme chauffeur tout semble facilement attaignable.
A Dieu soit la gloire!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Job 1:21
Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name
Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name
"Have you asked to be made like your Lord? Have you longed for the fruit of the Spirit, and have you prayed for sweetness and gentleness and love? Then fear not the stormy tempest that is at this moment sweeping through your life. A blessing is in the storm, and there will be rich fruitage in the afterward."
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name
Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name
"Have you asked to be made like your Lord? Have you longed for the fruit of the Spirit, and have you prayed for sweetness and gentleness and love? Then fear not the stormy tempest that is at this moment sweeping through your life. A blessing is in the storm, and there will be rich fruitage in the afterward."
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Double blessing in the making!
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Here's the whole story on our newly found pregnancy and its blessing.
When we sent out our dossier to Ethiopia the waiting time for receiving a referral (a match) was 4-6 months but because of the changes in the Ethiopian gov. the wait time changed to 5-8 months less than a month after. Then it increased to 7-10 months and I was a little dissapointed but knew that the Lord had already chosen a specific little guy for our family and I was willing to wait for him. While families are in the process of adopting, adoption agencies don't "allow" families to seek any type of family building either through another simultaneous adoption or pregnancy. But a couple of months ago AWAA made the announcement that they were changing their policy on family building for waiting families because of the expected increasing adoption process. Adam and I decided to pray about it and I sensed that the Lord was asking me to focus on the adoption and not to seek to be pregnant at that time. I gave that "mommy" desire back to Him and believed that He knew the future and was in control. So when we found out last Sunday that I was pregnant, I was overwhelmed with God's love for me. It was one of the greatest gifts from the Lord. I knew that I had given all my plans and desires back to please Him and here He was giving them back to me like a father to his child. I could picture Him with the biggest smile on His face, happy to make me happy. I am so excited and thankful!
On that following Tuesday we got an email from our adoption agency telling us that the wait time for referrals had increased to 10-16 months. Now the only rule for us to be able to accept a referral from Ethiopia is that the baby has to be 6 months old . The baby will be 6 months old in 15 months from now. Did the Lord know or what?!!! It's so cool to see that He is involved in every detail of our lives, even the timing of blessings!
Here's the whole story on our newly found pregnancy and its blessing.
When we sent out our dossier to Ethiopia the waiting time for receiving a referral (a match) was 4-6 months but because of the changes in the Ethiopian gov. the wait time changed to 5-8 months less than a month after. Then it increased to 7-10 months and I was a little dissapointed but knew that the Lord had already chosen a specific little guy for our family and I was willing to wait for him. While families are in the process of adopting, adoption agencies don't "allow" families to seek any type of family building either through another simultaneous adoption or pregnancy. But a couple of months ago AWAA made the announcement that they were changing their policy on family building for waiting families because of the expected increasing adoption process. Adam and I decided to pray about it and I sensed that the Lord was asking me to focus on the adoption and not to seek to be pregnant at that time. I gave that "mommy" desire back to Him and believed that He knew the future and was in control. So when we found out last Sunday that I was pregnant, I was overwhelmed with God's love for me. It was one of the greatest gifts from the Lord. I knew that I had given all my plans and desires back to please Him and here He was giving them back to me like a father to his child. I could picture Him with the biggest smile on His face, happy to make me happy. I am so excited and thankful!
On that following Tuesday we got an email from our adoption agency telling us that the wait time for referrals had increased to 10-16 months. Now the only rule for us to be able to accept a referral from Ethiopia is that the baby has to be 6 months old . The baby will be 6 months old in 15 months from now. Did the Lord know or what?!!! It's so cool to see that He is involved in every detail of our lives, even the timing of blessings!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Do I choose to be blessed?
Once again I spent way too much time in my mind. Thinking things over and over again. I worry. I'm anxious. I am letting my heart be troubled as opposed to NOT letting my heart be troubled. I am "in control" but it is not a good feeling. I'm hurting myself more than anything.
Adam and I spent some time in prayer last night. I know this is the right thing to do. I give it back to the Lord once again and leave everything in His control. I traded my anxiousness for some shabbat and shalom. (He's better behind the wheel than I am anyways!:)
This morning in my One Year Bible I read a verse I have read millions of times before. It jumped at me, and spoke hope to my heart like never before. Elizabeth tells her cousin Mary :
"You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” Luke 1:45
She believed God's promise. He blessed her for it. Do I want to be blessed in this adoption adventure? Well of course, Yes! I want to see God's promise come true. I want to see His hand at work. I want to be blessed by His plan for our family. I want to be used. So then I need to BELIEVE Him. No more doubt. No more timespent wasted in my mind. Here's more of His great promises to us:
"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" Proverbs 3:5
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
Adam and I spent some time in prayer last night. I know this is the right thing to do. I give it back to the Lord once again and leave everything in His control. I traded my anxiousness for some shabbat and shalom. (He's better behind the wheel than I am anyways!:)
This morning in my One Year Bible I read a verse I have read millions of times before. It jumped at me, and spoke hope to my heart like never before. Elizabeth tells her cousin Mary :
"You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” Luke 1:45
She believed God's promise. He blessed her for it. Do I want to be blessed in this adoption adventure? Well of course, Yes! I want to see God's promise come true. I want to see His hand at work. I want to be blessed by His plan for our family. I want to be used. So then I need to BELIEVE Him. No more doubt. No more time
"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" Proverbs 3:5
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
All in God's hand
In the last few days my heart has been troubled and here's why:
The Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWA) has stated a desire to reduce the number of recommendation letters they write each day for families in the court process. The number of recommendation letters have already started to decrease and we anticipate this will continue over the next few weeks as the court, MOWA, and other entities meet to discuss MOWA’s desire to decrease the number of recommendation letters they write overall. Rumors are they want to decrease by 90%.
So all of a sudden I find myself discouraged. But this morning the Lord reminded me through prayer that He has called us to do this, He is not surprised by this new turn of event and that He is powerful enough to change the "king's" heart. He could INCREASE the number of approvals by 90% if He wanted to! So my anxiousness has now turned into prayer and discouragemnet into excitement to see what God's plan for our family is.
"The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases."
Proverbs 21:1
Even as this continues to unfold, we know that the Lord places the lonely in families, and that the enemy does not want to see this happen. Please pray that God will break down the strongholds set up against adoption, and that His Spirit will direct the decisions being made in the coming days and weeks in Ethiopia. Pray for all of the families and children affected by decisions being made and that they will experience God’s peace and comfort through this time.
“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” Psalm 5:3
The Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MOWA) has stated a desire to reduce the number of recommendation letters they write each day for families in the court process. The number of recommendation letters have already started to decrease and we anticipate this will continue over the next few weeks as the court, MOWA, and other entities meet to discuss MOWA’s desire to decrease the number of recommendation letters they write overall. Rumors are they want to decrease by 90%.
So all of a sudden I find myself discouraged. But this morning the Lord reminded me through prayer that He has called us to do this, He is not surprised by this new turn of event and that He is powerful enough to change the "king's" heart. He could INCREASE the number of approvals by 90% if He wanted to! So my anxiousness has now turned into prayer and discouragemnet into excitement to see what God's plan for our family is.
"The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases."
Proverbs 21:1
Even as this continues to unfold, we know that the Lord places the lonely in families, and that the enemy does not want to see this happen. Please pray that God will break down the strongholds set up against adoption, and that His Spirit will direct the decisions being made in the coming days and weeks in Ethiopia. Pray for all of the families and children affected by decisions being made and that they will experience God’s peace and comfort through this time.
“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” Psalm 5:3
Saturday, February 19, 2011
We're "paperwork" pregnant!
Dossier is SENT!!!
This morning I ran around town like crazy. I had to photocopy our dossier 3 times, get a last minute notarized copy of my Canadian birth certificate, go to the bank and then finally mail all these papers. I told the lady at UPS to be careful. I was so nervous, it felt weird to hand over one full year of paperwork to a complete stranger. After it was all set and done I felt different; happy and excited. It felt just like when I have taken a pregnancy test and it was positive. I just wanted to scream to everyone in the store that my husband and I were gonna have another son. Don't worry I didn't! The emotions I am going through today are so strong. I never thought that adoption would be such an emotionnaly charged experience. I can't wait to meet him and kiss his little face.
So as of today we are officially "paperwork" pregnant! Our son should be home in 9 months.
Monday, February 14, 2011
JEHOVAH-JIREH, MY PROVIDER
“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
Last Friday afternoon (Feb 11th) Adam and I were reminded once again of the truth of the expression "Where the Lord guides, He provides". I went to get the mail and found a letter from some friends we met a long time ago. They heard of our adoption through Facebook and were touched. They wanted to be part of this adventure with us, and so they very generously gave as the Lord had put on their hearts. We were floored by the amount they sent us but also by the power of our Lord to rally us all together as brothers and sisters in Christ. Only His Holy Spirit can unite hearts like that for His purposes. It's beautiful to see!
So now we are waiting for two pieces of paperwork to come back to us from the Secretary of State. They should arrive this week or early next week. Once we get those two documents we are officially done our paperchase and can send our dossier to America World. Woohoo!!!
We are a little overwhelmed right now by the reality of this adventure. It's really happening, God is really doing this. It's humbling and such a blessing all at the same time. I'm excited to meet my baby. I started having dreams about this little guy. It's just like when I was pregnant and had dreams of the new baby coming. God is so good.
Last Friday afternoon (Feb 11th) Adam and I were reminded once again of the truth of the expression "Where the Lord guides, He provides". I went to get the mail and found a letter from some friends we met a long time ago. They heard of our adoption through Facebook and were touched. They wanted to be part of this adventure with us, and so they very generously gave as the Lord had put on their hearts. We were floored by the amount they sent us but also by the power of our Lord to rally us all together as brothers and sisters in Christ. Only His Holy Spirit can unite hearts like that for His purposes. It's beautiful to see!
So now we are waiting for two pieces of paperwork to come back to us from the Secretary of State. They should arrive this week or early next week. Once we get those two documents we are officially done our paperchase and can send our dossier to America World. Woohoo!!!
We are a little overwhelmed right now by the reality of this adventure. It's really happening, God is really doing this. It's humbling and such a blessing all at the same time. I'm excited to meet my baby. I started having dreams about this little guy. It's just like when I was pregnant and had dreams of the new baby coming. God is so good.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
One year later
I know, I know, It's been way too long since my last post. Please forgive me :/
Since the last time I blogged, a lot has happened. First I have worked on the look of our blog. It is still in remodeling mode but a few new things are up and running. I have added some pages, most of them being descriptions and links to our different fundraisers (cakes, Rada cutlery, ChipIn). Click on their individual tabs above to see what I'm talking about. We also have a new blog address that is much easier to remember: cyradoption.blogspot.com
It's been a full year since we embarked on this adventure. All year long we have gathered necesssary paperwork and signatures. For whatever reason it took us longer than most adoptive families, but we believe God's timing is perfect. Maybe God has allowed this slow and steady pace just so our friends from church, Jonathan & Tiffany Stewart, would be able to catch up to us and maybe travel with us? That would be such a huge blessing to be there with them. We'll see...
To read more on our friend's adoption :
www.ourmustardseedadventure.blogspot.com
Minus 3 signatures and a few family pics, our dossier is ready to be sent out. We are pretty excited about that. It's all the more real now that our paperchase is coming to an end. It means we will meet our son very soon through what we call referral (4-6 months). A referral includes a brief description and a picture of the little guy. We pray our family is the best match for him.
Since the last time I blogged, a lot has happened. First I have worked on the look of our blog. It is still in remodeling mode but a few new things are up and running. I have added some pages, most of them being descriptions and links to our different fundraisers (cakes, Rada cutlery, ChipIn). Click on their individual tabs above to see what I'm talking about. We also have a new blog address that is much easier to remember: cyradoption.blogspot.com
It's been a full year since we embarked on this adventure. All year long we have gathered necesssary paperwork and signatures. For whatever reason it took us longer than most adoptive families, but we believe God's timing is perfect. Maybe God has allowed this slow and steady pace just so our friends from church, Jonathan & Tiffany Stewart, would be able to catch up to us and maybe travel with us? That would be such a huge blessing to be there with them. We'll see...
To read more on our friend's adoption :
www.ourmustardseedadventure.blogspot.com
Minus 3 signatures and a few family pics, our dossier is ready to be sent out. We are pretty excited about that. It's all the more real now that our paperchase is coming to an end. It means we will meet our son very soon through what we call referral (4-6 months). A referral includes a brief description and a picture of the little guy. We pray our family is the best match for him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)