Pray.

My heart is breaking today.

You know what I wrote about Friday...a war is waging.  Let me tell you, it is real and it is happening.  Most specifically, to my adoption family.

You know Sarah and Shawn Basile, the family who we had the privilege of spending 3 weeks with in Ukraine.  If you need a reminder, their blog is: www.hopefulheartadoption.blogspot.com.  Anyway, I feel like they are family, like Mila is related to Blake in some sort of crazy way.  Their stories collide in many miraculous ways--ways I hope someday they will be curious about and we will have the privilege of sharing with them.  And of course, the opportunity to play together.

But Mila has had an uphill battle since arriving home.  Her first struggles began on the airplane ride home with her difficulty to breathe.  She had surgery to improve her breathing and restlessness.  Then a week after that she had open heart surgery.  Sarah and Shawn believed they were in the clear.  But the 2nd day after surgery, Mila began to cry and cry.  She would only sleep for 20-30 minutes at a time.  This continued for a week or so.  The surgeon told Sarah to check with her pediatrician, who told her there was nothing wrong.  But...Sarah knew in her gut that Mila wasn't right.  She was hurting and struggling.  She pushed more with the doctors.  FINALLY, after 3 doctor's telling her there wasn't anything wrong, she discovered Mila had a urinary tract infection...probably since she had her surgery--about 2 weeks before that.  It was so bad, that they scheduled a kidney evaluation for Thursday of this week.  After speaking with Sarah Friday, she and Shawn were hoping to finally get some sleep for themselves, and for Mila to finally rest peacefully so her body could continue to heal...and so they could all relax. But this weekend things didn't improve and they are back at the hospital hoping to get answers.  They believe she is having more cardiac issues they weren't aware of or that have just appeared.  I don't know if I could be as strong as Sarah.  I know she doesn't believe she is being strong.  I know she feels like she can't handle much more.  I know she is worn out and without answers.  But what I do know is that Sarah loves Jesus and that He is carrying she and Shawn through this...moment by moment.  So, let's band together and pray for them right now.

Pray for peace that surpasses all understanding...pray for answers from the doctor's...pray for healing of Mila...pray for Sarah and Shawn's marriage during this time of trials...pray for their health to be maintained while they are strained mentally and physically...pray for wisdom, discernment, and understanding...pray for God to be glorified through it all.

Also, pray for another adoptive family friend of ours.  The Taylor family and little Jadon.  Jadon had a routine tonsillectomy last week and is still in the hospital because his body refuses to breathe on its own.  He can't seem to recover his breathing to sustain normal O2 levels.  So while you are lifting up Mila and the Basile family...say a prayer for Jadon and wisdom from the doctor's for his family as well.  As well as pray for a spirit of peace to overcome Jadon and Christie and family.  The unknown is a scary place to reside for any person...so pray for them to be at peace in the fact that God is omnipotent.

Sergey

Finally, pray for my dear friend Danielle and her adoption of Sergey.  They are still awaiting notification from the EE government about a court date for their adoption.  They are fighting the fear, frustration, worry, and all the other tactics Satan uses to bring us down, that so many adoptive families face.  Tactics that draw our eyes away from Christ and His sovereignty and Lordship and power.  So pray for discernment, wisdom, understanding, peace and hope for the Farley Family.  They have been waiting nearly a year for this precious boy to join their family.  Yet so many obstacles keep arising.  They know God has this boy planned for their family, and that their plans to adopt him align with God's will for them, so they are anxious and excited, yet feeling scared too for the hold-up's that keep being thrown their way.