In The Middle of A Story

It's almost been a month since our last adoption update.   On March 12 we went to get another set of fingerprints at the USCIS office in Silver Spring, and then received in the mail our "Notice of Favorable Determination Concerning Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition." (That's the I-600 form we applied for back in Feb).  So, at this point we have literally accomplished every piece of paperwork we can up to this point: we are totally ready to go, just waiting for the situation to open up!

It felt a little strange to be going to get those fingerprints with the dark cloud of the suspension hanging over our heads.  There was a grumpy little part of me that wanted to mutter about how much more fun that errand would be if things were different and it meant that we would be receiving our first travel dates soon.  Truth be told, finalizing these last little details is a lot harder now, since the suspension makes it feel like there's very little wind blowing for our sails to catch and keep us moving.

Still, we're learning and processing. Sitting in the USCIS waiting room, I thought to myself: "I guess this is what it feels like to 'walk by faith and not by sight.'"  It's not easy to keep moving forward when you can't see what lies ahead.  Coincidentally--or not--the Bible reading schedule I'm following this year has me reading through the story of Joseph and so I'm being reminded that often the surprising twists and turns of life are part of a larger story, a story that we can't see the end of because we're in the middle of it.

But, not knowing how the story turns out sometimes stinks.  (Do you think Joseph had some faithful moments of grumpy muttering when he was forgotten in prison for two years?)  We've been processing this in different ways: we've both been a little more generally irritable, I noticed that I was sleeping a bit more than usual, and Bethany described herself as feeling emotionally raw.  We found ourselves avoiding discussions of the adoption, something that has been such a major topic of conversation. Even when Amy Julia Becker asked me for some quotes for her Christianity Today article, I had to take a deep breath to respond.  Just ways of processing the stress and disappointment of being in this holding pattern, I suppose.

But then, we discovered the Hunger Games.

That's a joke, kind of.

I had put it on reserve at the library a few months ago (yes, there was a rather long line) and it came a couple weeks ago, and Bethany started channeling some of her anxious energy by furiously diving into these books.  Thank God for a little escapist young adult fiction to give us something else to think about!  It was kind of nice to get lost in a different story.

Did I say Bethany furiously dove in?  I mean it: she read the first book, and then the second.  And then the third.  Then she bought tickets for the movie (we're going tonight!).  Then she wondered what she would do having completed the trilogy.  Then I offhandedly suggested she read the Twilight series.  So she did.  All of them.  And saw all the movies.  And has developed a rather complex and profound theological reading of these teenage vampire love stories drawing on CS Lewis' essay "The Weight of Glory."  (I'll leave her to write that post.  Or book.)  All of this in just over two weeks.  I told you it was furious.  As for me, I've only finished the one book...what a slowpoke.

We've had some conversations with folks from our adoption agency who are encouraging us, and that has been very helpful.  We're continuing to wait, hope, pray, and manage our nervous energy through young adult fiction!

Thanks for the many of you who are praying for us, putting us on your church prayer lists, sending us notes of encouragement, and generally being kind!  Wish we had more to report beyond this play-by-play of our emotional state, but hopefully we will soon!  The story isn't over...

Happy World Down Syndrome Day!

3.21 is World Down Syndrome Day!

Christianity Today has a couple great articles on the subject.  There are lots of good reasons to read them, this one does a great job of describing the problem facing people with Down syndrome.

In a more hopeful direction, this one talks about ways Christian ministries are seeking to help, and our adoption even gets a shout-out!

A Blessing in Disguise...

Watch this news clip!

You will be glad you did!

Occasionally a caring, thoughtful, and well-meaning person has mentioned to us, during the process of our adoption, that they are concerned for Zach and Caleb. They worry that having a child with special needs in the house will be hard for them. Certainly, if I am honest, I can say I have wondered that myself during the process of making this commitment. Watching this news clip was a great reminder for me that teaching Zach and Caleb the joy of selflessly loving others is the best gift we could give.

How Adoption Blesses the Church

Usually Christians think of adoption as a way that the church can be a blessing to others.  Here Russell Moore describes how adoption also blesses the church:

Russell Moore from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Maybe the Sky Is Not Falling After All

First off, many thanks to everyone who has emailed, called, encouraged, and prayed for us this week.  After the dust has settled a bit from last week's news, we're feeling more hopeful, though nothing has changed as far as the suspension is concerned.

We have gathered, however, that this suspension is connected with political realities inside the country which should work themselves out before too long.  People who know more about this stuff than I do are expecting that adoptions should open up again at some point, though it's impossible to know exactly when. So we are sitting tight.

And we are seeking to be faithful and persistent in prayer.  The morning after we received the news of the suspension,  I sat down in the morning to read the Bible, and this was what I was scheduled to read.  A rather timely reminder to be persistent in prayer...even when a "judge in a certain city" is unwilling to act, we are still called "to pray and not to lose heart."

I also preached on Sunday and incorporated into the sermon some of what we've been learning.  It's the first time I laid out some of the theology of adoption that I've been reading and thinking about lately. Bethany said it was the best sermon I've preached (and having heard 'em all, she oughta know!)
If you want to listen to it, you can find it here ("The Burden of Anxiety")

So thanks again for your continued prayers and encouragement.
God has this thing under control.

This is Not the Update I Wanted to Write

We have received some very disappointing news. Yesterday we received an email from our agency telling us that the region we hope to adopt from has suspended all American adoptions. They have done moratoriums before but this one appears to be indefinite. The email seems to hold out some possibility that the suspension could be lifted at some point but there is currently no indication as to when that might be. At the moment they are not accepting American dossiers, which is particularly bitter since we just submitted ours to the agency so recently.

This is very difficult news for us and so if you would join us in prayer, we would be so grateful. We are focusing our Lenten prayer and fasting in this direction:

-Pray for the child we hope to adopt and the thousands of other children in his situation, for whom this decision has grave consequences.

-Pray that the decision would be changed and the suspension lifted soon. Not only does it appear to us to be an injustice, but as you may remember that typically when special needs children turn 4 they are transferred to an institutional setting in which they do not thrive and often die. 

-Pray for the other parents who in the adoption process who are hearing this news. We know of some who have already met their child and are now finding themselves in limbo.

-Pray for wisdom and discernment for us as we try to understand God's providence and seek his will in all of this.

There's a lot that we don't yet know about the situation, and so along with the punched-in-the-gut feeling we have a lot of questions for which we don't yet have answers. And yet we are seeking to place our trust in God's good and gracious sovereignty.

Speaking of which, someone shared this quote with us, and we are reading it and believing it with lumps in our throats:

“Life is not a straight line leading from one blessing to the next and then finally to heaven. Life is a winding and troubled road. Switchback after switchback. And the point of biblical stories like Joseph and Job and Esther and Ruth is to help us feel in our bones (not just know in our heads) that God is for us in all these strange turns. God is not just showing up after the trouble and cleaning it up. He is plotting the course and managing the troubles with far-reaching purposes for our good and for the glory of Jesus Christ.”
― John Piper

Happy Valentines Day

This is what I got for Valentines Day:

I arrived home from spinning class this morning to a beautiful bouquet of roses from my sweet husband. The boys made me a wonderful Valentines day breakfast...pancakes and fruit salad..yum yum!!!

Andy got a soy latte from Starbucks and a mushy gushy card slyly left for him on the seat of his car. Zach and Caleb both got donuts with pink frosting and white sprinkles. And our child in Eastern Europe? Well he really lucked out...he got an I-600a form!!!! (A petition for advanced processing of an orphan...filed through Immigration services) It was an expensive gift but he is worth it!! Another big step checked off the list. We have faith that next Valentines day we will be able to give him a donut with pink frosting and white sprinkles instead!!!

We had a fun weekend with our sweet friends Ben and Lin . They came down and stayed with us for two nights. On Saturday we all went down to DC to have lunch and walk around the National Cathedral. I had never been and it was really fun to experience it with the boys.

"I LOVE castles." ~ Caleb

While we were there, Zach lit a candle and we all said a prayer for his brother far away.

Andy got this great picture of the stained glass window...a picture of Paul speaking to Timothy- The words are a perfect fit "From a child thou hast known Holy Scriptures- Timothy."

We can both say with certainty that our process of adopting Timothy has lead us to a greater understanding of God's Word for us.

Loved this picture of Zach and Caleb captivated by the statue of a child:

We continue to be thankful for your overwhelming support of our family through this process. We feel wrapped in your love and prayers!

Happy Valentines Day