8 on 8

The silence on the blog has been directly related to contents of this post.

If you read some earlier posts as to our retreat time in Jan/Feb and the clarity regarding our work Here, we have continued to seek Him, asking about what He would have us do with our lives next.

In December we were greeted with some very unexpected news from There.  In the process of counseling with some prospective adoptive parents, our agency contact informed me that there is a new policy regarding adoption Here.  Unlike anytime in the past, the adoption authorities are allowing families to re-use their dossiers (think 5 inch stack of papers, multi-certified, months to assemble and hundreds of dollars to complete) if they were to complete another adoption within one year.

This news rocked our world.

I knew, as did Daddy when I told him, that this was news we could not close our ears to.  Yet, we were involved in the last weeks of the Fall term of school, Christmas was upon us, and we were JUST finally feeling NORMAL again after the addition of The Singer and The Bruiser.  I would say we were sort of feeling like taking a victory lap on the last adoptions.  Considering those to be the last of our family's additions...but then the news...in essence the message...you CAN bring another child home...which then begged the question...would we?

In January we began to review files of the 7 boys who were here in our city, many who have waited and waited for a family of their own.  Each of them so precious, so deserving of a family of their own.  Our hearts were really torn. We have been blessed beyond measure through adoption...literally, for many people they cannot imagine the blessings we've received!  Yet we went back to those standard thoughts and natural concerns about adding another to the fold.  We found one darling boy who just seemed, to Daddy and I independently, like the One.  

So we set about gathering some intel on him.  We asked for updates on him (as his file was OVER 2 years old), we did some investigating closer to home to see what we could about him...I think we were both starting to believe that he was indeed going to be an H family member.

Then something so confusing happened.

We got a message, locally, that he was really sick.  That he was so sick he was no longer in his foster home...and that nothing could be done for him.

When we got the call I was just confused.  In my spirit I just felt that the news was wrong.  Sometime later I mentioned that feeling to Daddy, that I STILL felt that this guy was going to be ours, and he said, "yeah, without a doubt, me too."

Then we received the news that Papa G died. (Daddy's father.)  So Daddy and The Bug hurried to the US to attend the services and to say good-bye.  We were running like chickens without heads with finals at school and getting ready to leave for retreat.  Each day the question about the boy nagged at my heart...but I felt myself wavering back and forth with the thoughts..."Are we really being asked to do this again?  Are we not? I thought that this boy might be our son...but he's too sick to be adopted?"

After we'd been at the retreat center for a week, we were both continuing to receive encouragement from the Word that adoption is what we are called to...that until He says otherwise...it is the central calling on our lives...and we received an email.  It came through formal channels that the boy was well, he had no implications from his special need (he had one kidney removed very soon after birth, the other appeared to have some slight enlargement) and that he was doing well, waiting for his family.

Why the different reports?  My heart sort of jumped at the "good" report...but I really wanted to be for sure.  

A few days later, another unexpected email clearing up the discrepancy...the boy was still in his foster home...and doing well for a normal 4 year old boy!  

We had now enjoyed two weeks of rest and quiet time, searching out the Word and being with dozens of other like-minded families.  Our hearts were encouraged and we had received that wonderful, peaceful sense of "knowing" that comes when we've receive the faith to step out into the unknown.

So while at retreat, we wrote the petition to the adoption authorities.  Even though we knew how improbable it was again (we would need another income waiver, family-size waiver as we'd added another two boys since our last "waivers" were granted...and on an on...) we were at peace that we simply had to be willing.  Whatever He did with our willingness is not our affair...we were simply willing...and if the approval was given, then we would continue forward in faith.

In record time (4 days) we had our pre-approval.  (The last two approvals we received for The Singer and The Bruiser took 2.5 weeks and 4 weeks respectively!)

So without further ado...our 10th child...

we will name him Nehemiah as that Book has been deeply personal to us and our family in these years since we came Here...Nehemiah was the one given the burden to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem...he was mocked for using the burned and discarded stones from the old wall...but he showed uncommon faith and leadership in what he was called to do...and he used those discarded stones to build a wall that restored the city.

He looks perfectly like an H family member to us.

I have a dear friend who, when we were in Junior High and living in the Midwest, said to me, "when it comes to the number of kids you have, you HAVE to have an EVEN number of kids, so that no one has to ride ALONE at King's Island (an awesome amusement park in Ohio.)"

So, as we were at a theme park just last summer where Daddy and I often had to fill in the "extra" seat so that one of our kids did not have ride alone...we're so thankful that Nehemiah will in fact even up the number of kids on amusement park ride.

As our oldest two are living full time in the US, these means that we'll have 8 kids in the house now.  Magpie said the other day when we were coming up to our apartment..."hey Momma, now we'll be 8 on 8"  (we live on the eighth floor.)

It IS crazy, we know...you don't need to tell us.  We are living solely for the approval of Him who has called us.  So for those who can rejoice with us, please do...it will be another fantastic faith journey to bring this one home...and you're welcome to enjoy the show along with us!

GREAT things HE has done!