Waiting

Our phone rang yesterday and upon answering we heard, "Congratulations you guys!!  Your paperwork has been approved and you are officially listed with Bulgaria!"  We now have a number, which really only means that we are in the system.  It's not a number like you might hear at the Secretary of State, "Now serving #42, who's next please?".  It's our identifying number for Bulgaria.  But for us, it means we are one step closer to our family.  Although we have been told the wait could be up to 24 months, we could literally get a call any day with a referral for us to consider.  Then there will be more numbers to consider...will we get a referral for 1, 2, or 3 children?  how old are they?  how many days before we travel?  how many hours on a plane?  how many hours in country before we meet them?  how many days before we travel again to bring them home?  How long Oh Lord?  For so long we have been crying out for these children, always knowing that He knows who they are and when we will meet them.  After so much heartache, I have barely dared to dream anymore of what our family will be.  It is easier to move through the days not thinking such tender thoughts.  And although I have always known I would someday be a mom and John would be someone's amazing daddy, I think I gently tucked the daydreaming part of me away so it wouldn't get damaged again and again.  Well Someday finally feels like it's getting closer, so maybe, just maybe, I can find the me I tucked away and begin to dream again.

Grace Flows Down : A Fundraiser Update

We've had a crazy whirlwind week since our amazing fundraiser last weekend and, although we are still processing what happened that night, I have a few minutes to be still this morning before church.  We were hugely blessed in a number of ways that night.  God showed up in a BIG way.  If it's possible to plan an event and have it turn out (logistically speaking) just as we imagined, then that's what we got.  It was so fun to see many of our favorite people together on stage and mingling in the audience.  I couldn't stop smiling from the time rehearsal began at 3pm to the time we left at 10:30.  The Holy Spirit was definitely within our midst and you are all evidence of His great love.  THANK YOU for being Jesus with skin on!!  We fell to our knees as we realized that we had surpassed our fundraising goal for the night and, in fact, probably do not need to worry about fundraising the rest of the way!  Wow. God provided abundantly more than we could ever ask or imagine.  And, to tell you the truth, it makes me wonder if He is giving us 3 kiddos instead of the 2 we are praying for!  That would certainly make it interesting around here.  One more bit of news this week.  We got our immigration approval on Thursday so now we just have to gather a few papers to apostille and we will be officially listed with the country and then we can begin our "official" wait.