Learning and Fellowship

Last night we had the opportunity to meet with other Lifeline families from Kentucky who are adopting from various countries.  This was an educational event, designed  to help families prepare the siblings for the adoption.  We received so much valuable information, that we had been seeking, but relished the opportunity to hear stories from other families about their journey.  Everyone was in various stages, and provided insight on things to come.

More importantly between the fellowship and the learning event, Laurie and I concluded we are on the right path.  Our agency is one of the best, and last night proved just how much they care for their families.  While

we have never doubted our choice, we have questioned why we were blessed to have adoption placed on our heart.  We have been blessed beyond measure with three healthy, beautiful children, and could never ask for more, yet the Lord has said He is not finished with our family.  It is so wonderful to know, that through all of the hardships, God continues to bless our family.  As we learned last night, the way we handle the stress of adoption, directly affects the girls.  We are comforted in our strong relationship with each other and most importantly our Lord and Savior.  We have been called to care for the fatherless and it is an opportunity that we as a family could never pass up.

We could not imagine going through this journey without this support group of family and friends, specifically being able to adopt at the same time as our friends.  We have many friends who have previously adopted, just brought their child home, or are traveling the road at the same time as us.  Without them and our family, this would be a more challenging commitment.  It is comforting to see that there is a light at the end of the long, long tunnel, that one day God will choose our time to bring our son home!

On a more solemn note, it was difficult to hear of the challenges facing domestic adoption, more specifically the challenges that birth mothers face when deciding how to handle a crisis pregnancy.  It was said that traditionally birth mothers feel that they only have two options, parent the child, or have an abortion.  While

the latter is definitely heartbreaking, a birth mother trying to parent  without the needed resources is troubling as well.  Lifeline offers an adoption solution to birth mothers facing this challenging situation, and I encourage you to communicate this resource to anyone you know who may be facing the decision. Click the following link for more information. http://lifelinechild.org/pregnant  Also, please check out the newest video released by lifeline.



It is an awesome morning, provided to us undeserving, but by a loving God!  Be a difference maker today in whatever situation you encounter!

Home Study was awesome!

We survived!!! After days of torturing ourselves, the home study came and went. It was rather enjoyable, mostly in part to our very awesome social worker Lyndsey. She made it very pleasant and informational. The girls did outstanding, as we hoped they would, Gabby ended up answering most of the questions, while Maddy and Ally went into shy mode.

So far this process hasn't been half bad. After pouring over many adoption blogs, they state the home study is the worst part, except for the waiting. God has developed patience in us, so we are somewhat prepared for the wait. This has truly been a blessing.

We have no one to Thank other then our Lord for blessing this process. There was nothing we could have humanly done to sway the process, but we are glad this step was successful and is now behind us. Thank You everyone for the the thoughts and prayers.

Please check out the new page tab, LifeSong for Orphans. Each month I will be posting different topics from this organization.

Just received a question about posting comments to our blog.  Mistakenly, I had the comments setting on ultra-high security.  I have since changed that setting and now you can simply chose name/url under the comment section.  You do not have to enter both, just simply type in your name, or choose anonymous.

Thanks!

What day is it??? Home study day!

TODAY is our HOME STUDY!  We are excited and nervous, mostly trying to anticipate each step and question.  Please pray for us through this process.  All of the girls are nervous, but their bedrooms have never been cleaner!  They actually cleaned out their dresser drawers.

Our family pictures turned out great, and we hope to be able to post some very shortly for everyone to see.  It was bittersweet for me, our last family of five photo.  We have been use to the family of five, but are now ready to make it an even six!  We will actually fill up the big table at McAllister's.  We eat there often, so yes that is what we think about.

Please do not forget to check out out adoption fund raising page, if you would like to make a donation to our adoption.  We are planning a few fundraising activities after the first of the year, so be looking for that post.

We have been getting questions from family and friends, "Why Ethiopia?"  We will be posting about this shortly, but in short, it is simply God's plan and His choice.

Ohhh, things are moving so quickly.  The old adage of, "hurry up and wait", is going to come to fruition very quickly.  Our first home study is scheduled for THURSDAY, October 17, 2013!

Please pray for our family during this process.  We have been told this is one of the most challenging aspects of the adoption process.

Also, please check out the new page tab on the top of the blog.  If you would like to donate to our adoption, please see the information posted under Adoption Fundraising.  Many people have already began to ask how to contribute.  We are very grateful for all the prayers and assistance in this process!

Well, we think we have the first home study schedule, we will find out on Monday. After talking to a few people about the home study we are a little more at ease about having a stranger peer so deep into our lives. We have also begun writing our autobiographies! Have you ever tried to write about your family history, much less your own self? It is challenging... I will leave it at that.

 Following the home study, and a couple of more steps we will begin some fundraising activities to help cover the costs that will come around the referral time. I know, it is still early, but we want to be prepared, when the time comes. Hopefully, everyone saw the adoption fund post from Lifesong for Orphans, that I posted a couple of days ago. Please check into it, and see if you can help.

Tomorrow is family picture day... This may be the last time we have pictures as a family of five, Lord willing. We plan to incorporate the little lion man into our pictures, he is already part of the family and we do not even know him. That is the power of God! Enough with my rambling, but before I go, check out this song by Casting Crowns written by Mark Hall and Steven Curtis Chapman. It was written when the Hall's adopted from China and really shows the power of adoption!

Adoption Funds. Helping the church financially support couples as they bring home children into their forever families through adoption.

MEETING THE NEEDS // Adoption Funds

We see Adoption Funds as a "Win-Win-Win" solution: the local church is actively involved on behalf of orphans, the financial roadblock for families is removed, the orphan child is adopted into a permanent Christian family...all with minimal administrative burden for the church.

Using the adoption matching grant and interest-free loan processes already established by Lifesong, churches can easily navigate through the details of adoption funding....all with no cost to the church.

Learn more about Adoption Funds >> 

ALWAYS WITH YOU // Adoption Fund Story

Cameron and Sarah experienced the love of their church family through their adoption journey. His Kids Our Homes Adoption Fund, at North County Christ the King Church have blessed this family and others as children are brought into forever families. Listen in on their journey...

See how your church can benefit from establishing an Adoption Fund by visiting our website.

Read More

Bringing Churches Around Adoptive Families - Dave and Carrie, directors of His Kids - Our Homes (Lynden, WA) share how they have experienced the blessing of having a Lifesong Adoption Fund.  Watch Video

"God Worked to Bring Them Home" - Scott and Kathy bring two more children into their home through adoption with the help from TAMBA adoption fund. Read more

God's Revealing Love - Sam and Maria share how God continued to reveal His love for them and their 7 children, through their local church, North County Christ the King. Watch Video

Adoption Fund Testimonials - Hear what Adoption Fund partners have to say about their experience with Lifesong Adoption Funds.  Watch Video

Family and Friends,

We have come to realize that not everyone has a Facebook page or has access to the internet at all times.  To help follow our page, I have added a follow by e-mail function to the bottom of the page.  Simply insert your e-mail address and hit submit.  You will begin to receive an e-mail, each time we post in the blog.

Thanks for following us on this journey!

Hey everyone! This is Laurie. I am not nor have I ever been good at putting thoughts into words so if you will bare with me through this I would greatly appreciate it.  My mind is all over the place with this adoption process.  I feel like Erick and I are on two different levels.  He is so outspoken about his excitement and joy over this adoption but me on the other not so much.  Trust me I am SO excited as well but to be honest I'm nervous and scared to show the excitement.  In the rest of this blog I will explain why I have been so reserved.

The story starts about 9-10 years ago when I was told by my MD that I needed a hysterectomy due to a medical condition.  I was perfectly fine with this decision b/c hey I was 24 and had 3 beautiful, healthy girls that I loved and adored more than anything else on this earth.  Everyone kept saying 'you are so young, what if you decide later that you want another kid?'  Our response was, then we will adopt.  Well Erick and I never really put any more thought into it after that.  We lived our lives and would always joke about how awesome it would be that we would barely be in our 40's when the last one graduated from high school.  We would have so much time to do whatever we wanted. Erick and I went through a really bad patch in our marriage and God saw fit to move our family to Tennessee.  Out in the middle of nowhere Tennessee.  We were excited for the fresh start and nervous as well.  God truly began working on our family during this time.  We started semi going to church and I say semi b/c we went on Sunday mornings but never got involved in the church.  After 5 years we get a call that scared us...the company he worked for was selling out and we were going to have to move.  We did not know where we were going to move to but really started trusting in our faith that God would take care of us.  We were very close to moving to Michigan when Erick got a call that said they just had a spot come open in Louisville.  We were so excited to be going back home.  I'm not saying that things automatically started going smoothly but eventually everything worked out. Once back home we started attending a church that is currently our home church.  We got involved and went on a couple of mission trips.  As much as I love doing them I personally felt like I wasn't doing enough.  Second year at home rolled around and our whole family went on a mission trip to Des Moines WA.  It was such a blessing to be there with our whole family.  Again as much as I learned with that trip I still had this feeling I wasn't doing enough.  There is a song by Sidewalk Prophets called 'Help Me Find It' and I found myself using that song as a prayer.  I could not finish this song/prayer without breaking down.  I knew God had a plan for me I just needed to be still and have peace until that moment when God was ready to reveal it to me.  There were 2 couples from church that within a few weeks of each other brought their children home to their forever homes.  I found myself longing to be in their spot.  One day out of the blue Erick speaks up and says 'Hey what if we adopt?'  I thought wow that would be awesome but is that what God has planned for our family?  After much discussion and prayer between the 2 of us at first and then our 3 girls later we decided that this is where God was leading us.  Erick was jumping  in with both feet. Me, I was a little more reserved.  We put our application in and sat and waited for the approval or denial.  Erick had faith that everything was going to be fine.  I on the other hand did not want to get too excited b/c what if I'm reading God's signal wrong?? What if I get my hopes up that God is going to give me a son and I read the signs all wrong? That would be too much to handle.  So I sat back and didn't really say much about it.  I only agreed to tell our family's b/c their names were on the application and what if the application people needed to call them for something and then I really would have been in trouble with my family!  Let me just say that once we put that application in, the feeling that I needed to do more was gone.  I didn't feel like there was something else I should be searching for.  I felt calm and at ease.  Even though that feeling was gone I still doubted I was getting the signs right.  Well as you know we were approved and have submitted our first set of paperwork and money. I know this is God's plan for our family.  He has laid everything out for us.  I know this is what God has called us to do and now I keep asking why did He choose me and my family?  What did I do to deserve something this wonder? I am knocked breathless and humbled thinking that God has chosen us to care for another one of his blessings. He has blessed my family and I more than we ever deserve.  We are not worthy of any of these things that He has given but we ARE so thankful that he has! I can not wait until the day that we get to bring our son to his forever home!!

Someone has asked us how we came upon the scripture verse on the bottom the the blog title.  Laurie had really took hold of the song, Seeker by Audio Adrenaline, and half way through the song they read this verse.  It really spoke to us about our adoption, so we used it!  Below is the YouTube video of the song.

For clarification if you see Carrie's facebook post, "I can't wait to meet my little "አንበሳ" nephew! His sweet "anbesa" face will be so sweet to kiss! AUNT CARRIE IS READY!", anbesa is lion in amharic, the language spoken in Ethiopia.  Lion is written as "አንበሳ" in amharic.

So why "Little Lion Man?"  Well, we signed the paper that says we cannot post any identifying information on our son, until the adoption is final.  Granted we do not know his name and what he looks like, or if he is even born at this stage, but we wanted a way to identify him in our family, promote Christianity, and relish the Ethiopian traditions.  Below is the story of the Lion of Judah, which lead us to choose this pseudonym.

In Christianity, the Lion of Judah epithet is used to refer to Jesus Christ, but that's not where the relevance and meaning of this symbol ends. The Lion of Judah is an ancient symbol. The sign represents the Israelite tribe of Judah throughout the Old Testament of the Hebrew Bible. The symbol also features on the emblem of Jerusalem, recognizing the original tribe and inmates of the Biblical Yehuda or Judah. Traditionally, the tribe is represented by a lion. The symbol dates back to the tribe's patriarch Jacob, who referred to his son Judah as 'Gur Aryeh' or 'the young lion' (Genesis 49:9).

Why is Jesus Called the Lion of Judah?

There are a number of authentic Christian ministries that use this symbol as their emblem or a prefix to their names. The reference appears in the Bible in the Book of Revelation 5:5, in the New Testament. The symbol is read and understood as a direct reference to Jesus, where he is regarded as the 'lion of the tribe' and 'Root of David'. 

The Bible reveals the following instances when Jesus was referred to as the Lion of Judah:
Gen 49:8-9: The Lion of Judah, a strong fighter against the enemy.
Matthew 1:3: Judah begot Pharez and Zarah of Tamar and Pharez begot Hezron and Herzon begot Aram (extolling the genealogy of Christ).
Hebrews 7: 14: It is evident that our Lord has risen out of Judah concerning which tribe Moses spoke nothing about priests.
Christians around the world believe that while the ancient tribe of Levi prepared priests, that of Judah was the tribe of the Kings. Jesus is believed to be a descendant of the Tribe of Judah. Jesus is commonly referred to as the 'overcoming one' and 'the one qualified to open the scrolls and seven seals'. According to the Book of Revelation 5:5, Jesus was the 'sacrificial Lamb' and the 'Lion of Judah'. The prophecy of the coming of the Lord to 'judge the world' as the Lion of Judah is clear all through Revelation 5:1-5. 

Ethiopia's traditions, recorded and elaborated in a 5th-century treatise, the "Kebre Negest", assert descent from a retinue of Israelites who returned with Makeda, the Queen of Sheba from her visit to King Solomon in Jerusalem, by whom she had conceived the Solomonic dynasty's founder, Menelik I. As Solomon was of the tribe of Judah, his son Menelik I would continue the line, which according to Ethiopian tradition was passed directly down from King to King until Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed in 1974. Both Christian and Jewish Ethiopian tradition has it that there were also immigrants of the Tribes of Dan and Judah that accompanied Makeda (Queen of Sheba) back from her visit to Solomon; hence the Ge'ez motto Mo`a 'Anbessa Ze'imnegede Yihuda ("The Lion of the Tribe of Judah has conquered"), included among the titles of the Emperor (King of Kings) throughout the Solomonic Dynasty. 

So as you can see the Lion of Judah has a deep history in Christianity and Ethiopian tradition.  

Welcome!

Welcome to our adoption story!  We will be using this blog to capture our journey in bringing home our son from Ethiopia.  Lord willing, this process will strengthen our faith and in the end provide a new son and brother for our family!  Our little lion man...

Erick, Laurie, and Girls...