The musings are old blog posts journaling the progression of our Ugandan adoption.
My Family Keeps Getting Darker
“My family keeps getting darker!” This was said by my husband to his Indian wife about his soon to be Ugandan baby! Not sure he thought that would ever happen but it’s soooooo about to go down!
With that said, I’m not having a child from another man, but rather Derek and I are in the process of adopting from Uganda! We couldn’t be more excited in our journey to grow our family. This has always been part of our Plan A and we have never seen it as second best but rather living the gospel mission Christ has placed on our lives.
We’ve been in the process since the summer and my heart has grown more for the destitute and broken orphan than I could have possibly dreamed. As I search in scripture I find that we are adopted in the family of God. I recently realized why such descriptive verbiage for the process of entering into the family of God was used. In Jesus’ time you could disown your biological children but your adopted children you vowed to accept and love forever. This applies to the people of God everywhere, we are adopted. It’s your story and it’s mine. Soon this will be my son’s story.
Circling Jericho
I’ve recently been reading The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson and if you haven’t planned to read it I strongly encourage you to do so. In the book he talks about circling prayers like ancient believers. He commonly asks the question, “what’s your Jericho that you are believing for?” He goes on to explain that for the chosen people of God who had yet to take the ground of their Promised Land that Jericho was the first promise in the Promised Land. They had to claim what was already theirs. They had to circle it in prayer.
I’m feeling the same for my husband and myself right now. In this season of our lives we are believing for a Ugandan baby to join our family. This is a promise we circle day and night in the Promised Land. We understand we must believe and thank Him already for what He is doing and what He has already done as we claim the promise.
Even before I read The Circle Maker we chose to name our son Jericho. He’s the promise we wait for, believe for, and claim in the name of Jesus.
Circling this precious promise, circling Jericho.
Plan B
So many have asked if I’m not able to have babies the good ol’ fashioned way. I’m sure those who ask mean well but if I don’t know your last name feel free to keep questions about my uterus to yourself.
Adoption was never my plan B if something else didn’t work. For many it is and to each his or her own, but for me it’s an expression of my faith. Jesus talks about reaching and caring for the poor countless times in the gospels and James tells us that true religion is caring for orphans and widows. As a follower of Jesus I have a responsibility to take action to what I read coupled with the leading of the Holy Spirit.
There are an estimated 17 million orphans in Africa and 2 million in Uganda alone and by God’s grace in just a few months there will be one less. That one will have a mommy and daddy. He’ll be showered with cuddles, kisses, and encouragement. He’ll know a life of love, grace, and faith. My obedience will be his blessing.
I’m passionate about adopting our son and I see just a glimpse of the passion of Jesus as we are adopted into his family. If you follow Jesus, adoption is your story and mine.
This is my Plan A.
Bleeding Heart
Adoption is a wild ride, we knew that going into this, but what we never knew was just how much we would discover the bleeding heart of God.
For those of you who have followed our journey, you’ll know we’ve been in pursuit of a little boy named Derek, off in Uganda, for over a year. On September 14th, 2011 we received an email that broke our hearts only for Christ to mend them together again, and teach us his ways all the more. Sadly, Derek’s biological father refused to sign away his rights, therefore robbing us of any chance to make him our son. As hard as it was to stomach we knew the past year of prayers for Derek have not been in vain. We’ve learned how to love and believe for an orphan, an orphan with a name and face that is forever burned in our hearts. So often we hear the statistic that there are 147 million orphans and we are overwhelmed by the sheer mass of the orphan issue. For Derek and I, we’ve learned how to love an orphan, like a son. As of right now, Derek stands as unadoptable in the physical, but we know our prayers are heard by Father God for him to provide a way for a family, however that may happen.
The treasure in this past year has been the heart we’ve cultivated, one that deeply loves the ignored and destitute. We are prioritizing our lives, day by day, to find new ways to love and serve the hungry and hurting. This past year has been a gift, although difficult at times to receive, but a gift nonetheless. Again and again, Derek and I are reminded of the mysterious, unending, and sovereign love of God. It’s almost too much to take in. His love for us, his precious love for us, whether we live in left coast suburbia or a hut in the jungle of Africa, runs right through our veins and changes every part of us, reflecting more and more of his glory.
With the love of God pulsing through our hearts we do whatever it takes, short of sin, to take his love and lavish it on those around us and those afar. We can’t help ourselves, it’s our call, our mandate, and we won’t stop.
Although we aren’t able to adopt the sweet baby boy we’ve been pursuing, by God’s grace, we are pursuing a second child for adoption into our family. His name is Luke. His eyes are deep brown, his eyelashes longer than you’d expect, and his smile will make you melt. If it’s the Lord’s time we will adopt him before this year ends. We trust the Lord knows who our son is, not us.
So many have commented, “this must exhaust you, I bet you’ll be so glad when this is over. It’s so stressful to adopt.” Of course I’ll be over the moon when my son snuggles up in my lap and not 8,000 miles away. However, this has been a journey, a bittersweet journey, that I would happily do again, quicker than you can imagine. To give you perspective, right now baby Luke has typhoid, which typically provides a 104 degree fever, dehydration, and intestinal hemorrhaging. Yes, I’ll be glad when that’s over, but every ounce of stress is worth witnessing restoration and health for an orphan. Bring on stress if it means seeing orphans restored all for the glory of God.
I know we can’t change the orphan epidemic overnight, but we can do something, YOU can do something. Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone. Sponsor a kid, help fund an orphanage, foster, or dare I say… adopt.
