After talking with All God's Children International last week it became quite evident to us that we are to adopt a sibling group from the Philippines. We were looking at some photos and saw a group of three children that really stole our hearts. I think about those kids everyday now. Does this mean they are our kids? I do not know the whole story yet, I only see a piece...we have a long way to go before we are able to pick our kids (we are at the beginning of the process), but maybe we felt that way because those are our children. Or maybe God was trying to help us to realize that He wants us to adopt more than one child from the Philippines instead of just one (after all we have enough beds and rooms for them, we know God gave us this space for a reason). Either way, we are applying with a great peace about this new direction in the adoption journey. We did not have this peace when pursuing the domestic adoption/Foster to adopt route.
It has been very obvious this past week that this is what we are supposed to be doing. International adoption requires faith and perseverance like never before. We are being proactive and researching fund raising ideas. Would you join us on this journey of adoption? Join Team Elsea. We have some t-shirts we have designed that we would love for anyone and everyone to buy. It would be so encouraging to see how many people we have on our team, because we need it for this journey. Would you check out our tshirts and even consider just buying one item? And share with others also? (Our store is under the Fundraising tab)
We cannot do this alone...this will cost us over $50,000. And we are really being tested. As this song says: "Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders. Let me walk upon the waters, wherever You would call me." We are being called into the pacific, to a country with beautiful people, the Philippines. I (Sarah) know because I visited this country back in 2010, and it changed my life forever.
I held the hands of orphan children and looked into their tear-filled eyes as they cried each night wondering when their mommy and daddy would adopt them. And now that I am on this journey for myself, after seeing the pain those children go through as they are waiting for parents, there is no way we will give up until our kids are in our arms.
This morning early in the morning I had a dream. In it I saw one of the children from that sibling group of three. She was dancing and laughing. My heart was filled with love as I woke up as quickly as I saw her in my dream.
Once God gives you a calling, you press forward...especially when that calling involves your own children, the children that you have had in your heart all along, even though you never have met them. It's hard to express the love that we already have for our children. Maybe it sounds crazy to some, but we know they are over there waiting for us, and for that we will labor for them day and night. If we could, we would go there right now and get them...but this process could take a couple of years. Still, we will press on!
Comments