Questions, Books, and Honesty

This week, for some reason, has been a difficult one for me to wait on Lucy's homecoming. Jason and I started painting and redecorating Izzy's and Lucy's room, so maybe that has something to do with it. Izzy almost daily brings up Lucy and asks when she will be coming, maybe that is it. Oh, a funny side story about that......Izzy looked at me yesterday and asked if I had a baby in my tummy. (Ahem, maybe my diet and exercise plan are not working so well. Ha!) As I asked her more questions she was asking if Lucy would be coming out of my tummy like other babies do. This gave me a little insight into what her 3 year old mind is thinking. I told her in very simple terms that Lucy is part of our family because we are adopting her. She is special because someone else had her in her tummy, but she will still be a part of our family. She then kept asking what the lady's name was that had her in her tummy. I told her I do not know her name, but one person does, God. It is in these moments that I have to hold back the tears.

We continue to wait for our letter of approval to come from China. No news yet. I just read in an article that the next president of China is coming to the U.S. and he plans to visit a soy bean farm in Iowa. I would like to just call him up and ask if he could bring Lucy with him to Iowa and we could pick her up. : ) If only it were that easy. While we wait I have been reading some great books. One that is a must read for everyone, in my opinion, is Kisses from Katie. It is all about Katie Davis, a YOUNG missionary in Uganda who has adopted 14 girls of her own. Her story is amazing. She is an example of being obedient to the call God has placed in her life and having a supernatural love that could only come from our Heavenly Father. I am not completely finished with the book, but I am in awe of this young woman (did I mention she was only 18 when she first went to Uganda and her life has never been the same since). When a friend gave me her book to borrow I read the back of the book and just teared up. She wrote exactly what I have been in conflict about for the past few years. Here is what the back of the book says:

 "Sometimes I want to spend hours talking with my best friends about boys and fashion and school and life. I want to go to the gym. I want my hair to look nice. I want to be allowed to wear jeans. I want to be a normal young woman living in America, SOMETIMES.
But I want other things more. ALL the time. I want to be spiritually and emotionally filled every day. I want to be loved and cuddled by a hundred children and never go a day without laughing. I want to wake up to a rooster's crow and open my eyes to see lush green trees that seem to pulse with life against a piercing blue sky and the rusty red soil of Uganda. I want to be challenged endlessly. I want to be taught by those I teach, and I want to share God's love with people who otherwise might not know it. I want to work so hard that I end every day filthy and too tired to move. I want to make some kind of difference, no matter how small, and I want to follow the calling God has placed on my heart. I want to give my life away, to serve the Lord with each breath. At the end of the day, no matter how hard, I want to be right here in Uganda."

Now I do not think God is calling me to Uganda, like He is Katie, (sometimes I think that would be easier to do than to continue to live here in the U.S., but that could be another post to discuss), but he is calling me to things here and now that at times are beyond what my human, selfish, sinful flesh desires. I want to be spiritually and emotionally filled every day. I want to be challenged endlessly. I want to share God's love with people who otherwise might not know it. I want to make a difference, no matter how small, and I want to follow the calling God has placed on my heart. I would add, I want to be obedient to the Lord of my life by the power of the Holy Spirit to do what He is asking me to do. These are things from Katie's life that has spoken volumes to my heart.

Many people have asked or talked to me about the cost of adopting internationally. I give them my honest answer which is, I never imagined that we, with our own resources, would be able to "afford" adopting. However, if this is what God was asking us to do, we had no choice but to obediently follow his leading. God has been gracious to us and has shown me time and time again that this is His work, not our own work. He is providing. He is adopting Lucy, we are just His vessels to be used.

Last Saturday our family went to a Chinese New Year celebration for a few families in Sioux Falls, South Dakota that have adopted children from China. I was a little exhausted from being at a retreat the night before, but it was a great evening and I am glad we went. It was so fun to see some of the little Chinese children in their silk dresses and jackets. It was also so great to talk with families and now have some contacts to ask questions as they come up. Our kids had fun and asked if we would be going again next year. Here are a few pictures from the evening:

General chaos when multiple children are in one room : )

Cute little Samantha : )

Izzy coloring her Chinese lantern

Aiden, hamming it up with some new friends

I was bummed because I didn't get my camera in time to take a picture of Aiden pushing his new friends around on little scooters. It was a great evening and we very thankful for the new friends we made.

Soli Deo Gloria!