Okay, so I have introduced most of you to my new family since beginning this adoption journey, right?
The Farley's
The Kelley's
The Warner's
The Hinz's
The Taylor's
And there are so many more I've become acquainted with through this all, but these are a few I have really felt a connection too. Well, now I need to introduce you to one more family who I have only recently come in contact with. And let me tell you, this is only by God's handiwork, it has His name all over it, it is saturated with His grace and mercy, it is filled with His Compassion for orphans, and it can only be orchestrated by a Sovereign, all-knowing God. Read on...
I want you to meet Sarah and Shawn Basile, and Zoya.
Their blog is here:
www.hopefulheartadoption.blogspot.com--they have quite a story. I only recently came in to contact with Sarah through our Monday night online chats. We began discussing how we had both been waiting longer than usual for our documents to be submitted to the Eastern European government. She had been waiting since the end of August and us since the first week in September. Unfortunately, due to an appeal to a court case in regards to adoption of children with Down Syndrome, all of us were put on hold. That is, all of us adopting children with Down Syndrome under age 5. (because children under the age of 5, cannot be adopted in this country, unless they have special needs) We even discussed how due to changes in government regulations, these children we are 'committed' too aren't legally ours until that court date. That it is so hard to get so attached and drawn to these children, yet knowing in some slight way, something could go wrong and they wouldn't be available for adoption any longer. Something many of us do/did not want to discuss...but had to be prepared for. And in all honesty, after that conversation, I felt a weird connection to her. She was on my mind a lot that next week. Well, fast-forward one week, and that idea became the 'truth' for the Basile family. You can read more here: http://hopefulheartadoption.blogspot.com/2011/09/rise-difficult-post.html ---Sarah worded it beautifully. And you can't help but feel the emotions of her heart pouring out. That night, she informed us that Laina would not be their daughter any longer....but, they had committed to another little gal who was also in need of emergency care because of a heart condition.
Meet Laina.
Meet Harlene.
Ohhh, she is so sweet. So in a matter of a week, Sarah and Shawn found out their daughter, Laina, was no longer available to adopt. That this little gal, Harlene, was newly listed and needed a family ASAP, and she matched up with their requirements to adopt...so now they are on board to get Harlene. Well, in the mean time, Sarah did some detective work and discovered something...do you notice anything similar about Harlene's picture and our new picture of Blake?
Yeah, you thinking what I was thinking at that point in time...? Could it really be true? They could be in the same orphanage?
Well, Thursday, we both received word that we would be traveling together!!!!
Yeah..... we were given SDA appointments on the same day, an hour apart!!
Then it gets better, we were later notified that we would be traveling to the same region, visiting the same orphanage every day for the next month...PRAISE GOD!!! Yeah, that doesn't happen, hardly....ever. We will have English-speaking friends with us the entire trip, who have adopted from this country before, who have a passion for special needs children, who love Jesus, who have faithfully stepped out to provide a home for these orphans, and I'm hoping will become dear friends to us. Sarah later confided in me that her prayer has been that they would be traveling with another family or meet another family in country because that was a real struggle for them on their last adoption to this country. It was just she, Shawn, and a lot of goats. So leave it to God, to go above and beyond this request....wow. There are no words.
Just awe.
Thank you, Lord. So please, be in prayer for the Basile family as they are dealing with a wheel of emotions right now, grief over the loss of Laina, excitement over meeting Harlene, and anxiousness about what the next month will bring.
And there are so many more I've become acquainted with through this all, but these are a few I have really felt a connection too. Well, now I need to introduce you to one more family who I have only recently come in contact with. And let me tell you, this is only by God's handiwork, it has His name all over it, it is saturated with His grace and mercy, it is filled with His Compassion for orphans, and it can only be orchestrated by a Sovereign, all-knowing God. Read on...
I want you to meet Sarah and Shawn Basile, and Zoya.
Their blog is here:
www.hopefulheartadoption.blogspot.com--they have quite a story. I only recently came in to contact with Sarah through our Monday night online chats. We began discussing how we had both been waiting longer than usual for our documents to be submitted to the Eastern European government. She had been waiting since the end of August and us since the first week in September. Unfortunately, due to an appeal to a court case in regards to adoption of children with Down Syndrome, all of us were put on hold. That is, all of us adopting children with Down Syndrome under age 5. (because children under the age of 5, cannot be adopted in this country, unless they have special needs) We even discussed how due to changes in government regulations, these children we are 'committed' too aren't legally ours until that court date. That it is so hard to get so attached and drawn to these children, yet knowing in some slight way, something could go wrong and they wouldn't be available for adoption any longer. Something many of us do/did not want to discuss...but had to be prepared for. And in all honesty, after that conversation, I felt a weird connection to her. She was on my mind a lot that next week. Well, fast-forward one week, and that idea became the 'truth' for the Basile family. You can read more here: http://hopefulheartadoption.blogspot.com/2011/09/rise-difficult-post.html ---Sarah worded it beautifully. And you can't help but feel the emotions of her heart pouring out. That night, she informed us that Laina would not be their daughter any longer....but, they had committed to another little gal who was also in need of emergency care because of a heart condition.
Meet Laina.
Meet Harlene.
Ohhh, she is so sweet. So in a matter of a week, Sarah and Shawn found out their daughter, Laina, was no longer available to adopt. That this little gal, Harlene, was newly listed and needed a family ASAP, and she matched up with their requirements to adopt...so now they are on board to get Harlene. Well, in the mean time, Sarah did some detective work and discovered something...do you notice anything similar about Harlene's picture and our new picture of Blake?
Well, Thursday, we both received word that we would be traveling together!!!!
Yeah..... we were given SDA appointments on the same day, an hour apart!!
Then it gets better, we were later notified that we would be traveling to the same region, visiting the same orphanage every day for the next month...PRAISE GOD!!! Yeah, that doesn't happen, hardly....ever. We will have English-speaking friends with us the entire trip, who have adopted from this country before, who have a passion for special needs children, who love Jesus, who have faithfully stepped out to provide a home for these orphans, and I'm hoping will become dear friends to us. Sarah later confided in me that her prayer has been that they would be traveling with another family or meet another family in country because that was a real struggle for them on their last adoption to this country. It was just she, Shawn, and a lot of goats. So leave it to God, to go above and beyond this request....wow. There are no words.
Just awe.
Thank you, Lord. So please, be in prayer for the Basile family as they are dealing with a wheel of emotions right now, grief over the loss of Laina, excitement over meeting Harlene, and anxiousness about what the next month will bring.
WOW!!!! What an incredible journey! I am praying for all of you!! ((hugs))
ReplyDeleteI am loving everything I read here...except what happens to Laina? Oh man my heart hurts.
ReplyDeleteI'm so thankful to God that you have met Sarah and Shawn to travel this journey with... They are AMAZING people, together with Zoya this is a family that you would run into a burning building to find, honestly! It has been a pleasure for my family to get to know each one of them. WE CANNOT WAIT to meet "Harlene" as well. WE LOVE THEM!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI'll be adding your family to our prayers for safe travels.
:)
Teri
First of all, the goats comment made me laugh. Second of all, you are so sweet and your post really had me tearing up! Third...to Kimberlee...Only God knows what will happen to our Laina chicky...for now she stays in the orphanage with visits from birth mom:( And last, Teri you are just trying to make up for the fact that Anna thinks we're crazy because of the circus act...but that's just what a true friend would do!!! HAHA! Love ya all!
ReplyDeleteThanks Anna, I am bawling over here:) You are so right that does have God written all over it. I'm so happy you are traveling with someone, that to has been a prayer of mine. Anna I can't believe this journey we are all on, where we both started and now look at how close we are to bringing our children home! Thank you for allowing me to be apart of your journey,oh and I want to be added to your Christmas card list so that I can have your new family picture, HA!
ReplyDelete