In The Thick of It

I am sitting here with such a heart of gratitude that I don't even know where to begin being thankful! God is doing amazing works and I have to stand back and watch in amazement the same way you might at a spectacular fireworks display. There are the obvious blessings like the generous donations we've received towards Francis' adoption.
I reached out with some reservation as we are not adopting a cute, cuddly baby this time around but an almost-full-grown teenager. I wondered if people would feel led to help us this time around since we were helped last time. I prayed that our vision and calling would not look like something else, something self-serving in the eyes of our friends and family. What a relief that those who know us best really DO understand.
My thankfulness goes beyond the financial realm and into the logistics of the adoption process. I found out we only need a homestudy update and not an entire new study. I discovered that our immigration paperwork will be much easier this time as we only need to file an extension of our immigration approvals and not new documents.
I am not naive enough to believe this whole process will go off without a hitch, though. This is our fourth adoption and if I've learned anything, it is to expect the unexpected. Paperwork gets lost, government offices close just when you need them most, clouds of ash or typhoons effect air travel, etc. etc. If I didn't have
full confidence that God is sovereign, there is NO way I could sign up for this process again without losing my mind. If I didn't have the pictures and paperwork of that precious young man to look at each day and to remind myself WHY we're doing this, I would not be able to fill out one more form or write one more check. But I DO have those things. I have so much more. I have the prayer and support of friends and family. I have a husband who is just as convicted as I that God has called us to this. I have a savior who "knows my name" - as we sang in church a couple of Sundays ago. He also knows our new son intimately and has decided we are the right family for him.
WOW! So much to be thankful for . . .

We're Rolling . . .

I am thrilled to report that we are getting to the end of the paperwork mountain and getting closer to having our file in The Philippines for official matching with Francis!!
We have been blessed with more financial contributions than the "chip in" button indicates as some friends have given us checks. We debated adding them to the chip in account but since it's paypal and has small fees associated with it, we felt it would be the best stewardship to keep them separate. I will keep a running tab on the blog page somewhere to indicate our progress but, for now, let me say "THANK YOU" to:
P = $100
P = $50
R/K = $300
M = $300

As the adoption process goes full steam ahead, your prayers are more important to us now than ever! It is not without fear that we open our home to this older child.
We've read the "horror stories" of older child adoptions gone wrong. We've struggled with one of our own adopted children and his issues. We know it's going to be a faith walk and we are just human. Praise God, who gives wisdom to all who ask for it. That's our prayer right now - that God would give us supernatural wisdom to
walk in His will and be His hands and feet.
Please pray for the two grant applications we have sent off this week and for two fund raisers in the works that will be orchestrated by precious sisters in Christ.
We never fail to feel so very "loved on" during the adoption process! From the wonderful notes and emails to the folks who offer to help in practical ways, we see
the body of Christ doing what it does best - serving one another. It's the type of service we know is not done for any return. Where else on Earth can you find that kind of love? Only in the family of God!

YES!!!!!

On Friday, October 1st around 9am, we received the long-awaited verdict on our request to adopt 15-year-old Francis from The Philippines. The Inter Country Adoption Board ruled in FAVOR of our family adopting him!!!!!!!! As a mother who has given birth twice and adopted three times previously, I can assure you that the thrill of that phone call is no less wonderful than watching the "little stick" reveal a "plus mark" indicating that you are, in fact, pregnant. Even though this young man is a teenager, we are as excited about the chance to add him to our family as if we were being presented with a newborn! I have known in my heart for many months that he was headed for our family but I what I did not understand was HOW. So many mountains had to move for this young man to become ours. There are still mountains to move but I can see the ground starting to shake!
This adoption is going to have to fall into place QUICKLY for us to make the age-related cut off established by US Homeland Security. The speed of this adoption is causing us to have to do one thing our pride rejects: ask for help raising funds. We know the Body of Christ stands ready and waiting to help us accomplish this task.
"With God, all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

Thank you in advance for your help, your prayers and your willingness to be a part of something "Radical".

For His Fame,
Nikki and the fam

Precious Post

I just received the most uplifting message on Facebook from a sister in Christ whom I've never met "in real life". Aside from the personal encouragement she offered me, she sent the list below. I hope it reaches your heart like it did mine.
Thank you, Jessica!!!!!


You know you’re an adoptive parent (or should be) if:

1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has made you lose sleep.
2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family.
3. You can’t watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing.
4. The fact that, if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child there would be no orphans in the world, is convicting to you.
5. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption.
6. It drives you crazy when people ask you about adopted child’s “real” parents.
7. You have ever been “pregnant” with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth.(2 years!)
8. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway, knowing where God calls you He will provide.
9. You have ever taken an airplane ride half-way around the world with a child you just met.
10. You believe God’s heart is for adoption.
11. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacies you could ever leave on this earth.
12. You know what the word “Dossier” means, and you can actually pronounce it!
13. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life.
14. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have him or her in your life.

Author Unknown

No News is . . . Well . . . NO NEWS

We are in a bit of a familiar holding pattern right now with the hopeful adoption of Francis from The Philippines. We continue to wait for the governing board of adoptions (the ICAB or Inter Country Adoption Board) to give us the green light on our request to start the process. If there is anything to be grateful for in this waiting period, it is that I am no longer dreading the mountainous paperwork, I welcome it. I am no longer exhausted at the thought of fund raising, I am fired up! I am praying daily that we get a chance to bring this young man into our family and each day that passes without news is another day for me to lean wholly on Jesus and to remind myself that He is in charge. The ICAB board meets once a week on Thursdays (while those of us in the US are sound asleep Wednesday night, it is Thursday in PI). I pray that by week's end, we will have our answer. If not, we continue to wait and pray.
Confession Time: Because I am so bad at waiting, I did go out and buy a few items on the off chance the ICAB says "yes". I have purchased new bedding and some paint.
Hey . . .I've got to do SOMETHING (ha ha). The room could use some TLC anyway so why not now? I hope to be posting something wonderful come week's end. Stay tuned!!!

Silence with a Purpose

My blog has been so quiet lately for one good reason. We are awaiting the decision of the Inter Country Adoption Board in The Philippines regarding our request for permission to adopt Francis!!!!!!! This one has been such a roller coaster ride that I hesitate to post much at all until we know something. From having full funding to having no funding - from wanting to adopt to simply advocating for him and back to adopting him again - if this young man finally comes home to us, I will have some crazy stories to tell him.
We should hear within a week whether or not we're allowed to pursue his adoption. The Philippines has a rule that families must wait one year between adoptions. This is a great rule and I completely understand the reason for it. In our case, though, Ezekiel has been home for only 6 months and by the time our year is up, it will be too late for Francis. He will have aged out. If the ICAB says "yes", I am posting my brand new picture of Francis on this blog in hopes that it will remind everyone to pray us through this process. We have a long way to go and a short time to get there so I lean on the promises in God's word that I know to be true. He will never leave me nor forsake me. . . All things work together for the good of those who love God and are calling according to His purposes. . . He does exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask or imagine . . .

No Excuses!

I am currently recovering from the most unpleasant illness I have EVER experienced in my life! I have strep throat. I don't just have the "regular" version, which is nasty enough. I have the kind of strep throat you get when you should have been on antibiotics for days and were too stubborn and busy to go to the doctor. For three solid days, my fever was rarely below 103! I took bath after bath and sat in the broiling sun to get warm on those days and even that wasn't sufficient to stop the chattering teeth and muscle aches. I can shine a flashlight down my throat while looking in the mirror and see scabs on my tonsils . . . okay, I'm venturing into "TMI" land (Too Much Information) aren't I?
Today is the first day I've left the house in 5 days and it was glorious! I almost broke into song in the isles of Wal Mart while deciding which style Hot Pocket my teens would like for their co-op lunches this week! I have a much greater understanding of human suffering. I know that sounds melodramatic but it's true! By day 3 of the fever, chills and stabbing pains with each swallow, I began to feel despondent. I prayed, begged and maybe even tried to bargain with God for some relief. He answered by slowly healing me through the wonders of Penicillin. I was praying for a "put your hand on the TV and repeat after me and you will be healed" type thing - no dice!
While lying in bed this week, I finished the book "Radical" by Dr. David Platt. It rocked my world! It convicted me about the pursuits of my heart and my lack of true brokenness for the lost. I felt very ashamed that, in light of our friend's financial issue, I was ready to throw in the towel on pursuing the adoption of Francis from The Philippines! I am weak and easily discouraged, I guess, but I want to be that young man's mother and I believe he was created to be in this family. If the funding for his adoption is not coming to us in one giant check with no effort on our part, does this mean we are free to walk away? Absolutely not! In light of all that God has done in bringing us 5 amazing children and the testimonies that come with each one, we can not assume that God has said "no" because one door has closed. With renewed health and renewed purpose, we are asking, once again, for more than we deserve - another miracle from the Lord. The Bible is clear that "you have not because you ask not". I am asking . . .no begging . . . for God to do another "radical" work in our lives and make a way for us to adopt this young man before he ages out of the system - time is short and so are funds but praise be to God, he controls them both!!

Has He Spoken?

I am sad and yet resigned as I type this entry . . . the friends who so generously agreed to pay for our adoption of the older child in The Philippines are no longer able to do so. It is through NO fault of their own, honestly! I wish I could share all the details and it would be plain to see that our friends truly intended to take care of this adoption. We are not sure what this means for us or for the young man who waits, in his final year of availability, for a family to call him their own.
Should I begin to advocate for him in the online adoption community? Certainly anyone reading his file would love to have such a teen as a son. Should we wait on the Lord to provide another way or has God spoken and this adoption is not to be? I just can't fathom it!
Please pray. More than anything, I want this young man to have a chance to live and grow up in a family.

On The Road Again

We just returned from a road trip that took us from North Carolina to the heartland of America, Nebraska. I was born in Omaha and both of my parents have family there.
I have a precious 90 year old grandmother who is battling cancer (and winning!) and plenty of aunts, uncles and cousins in Nebraska that I would love to know better. We had a wonderful time swimming, eating, playing cards and just sitting and chatting. We put about 2400 miles on our mini van and visited at least 20 rest areas on this little jaunt. I have to admit I was a little apprehensive about traveling with Ezekiel. He is two and he does not love the car seat. He actually did surprisingly well and didn't actually "melt down" until about 9pm last night (we arrived home around 10:30 so imagine what the 9:00-10:30pm segment of the trip consisted of . . . wwwaaahhhhh!!).
Between the snacks, DVD, frequent restroom stops, books and toys we carted along, everyone survived the drive and dare I say, some may have actually ENJOYED it? I know I did. It provided lots of time to just sit, pray, think and talk to my husband - all things I generally neglect on a "normal" busy day around the house.

One of the most delightful parts of the trip was meeting a cousin who, until just a few years ago, I didn't know existed. She was given up for adoption by my uncle and his then girlfriend just about two years before I was born. She found her birthparents (my uncle and his ex-wife) through the placing agency and they reconnected. I had so many questions that I wanted to ask an adult adoptee. I tried to prioritize them so as not to overwhelm or monopolize her but the biggest question I wanted answered is "do you think it was for the best that you were placed for adoption?". She graciously answered that it was absolutely for the best. She knows her birthparents were young and unprepared and she was adopted by a loving family who longed for her. I know every person is different and some may resent being adopted while others may feel "incomplete" until they meet their birth family.
I don't know what impressions my boys will have about their "life before me" but I can only pray that as they grow and mature, they have the wise perspective of my cousin and the understanding that adoption represents the ultimate act of love, first by a birthparent and then by adoptive parents.

Knowing You

"But whatever gain I had, I count it all as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Philippians 3:7-8

Once again, God has done it and I'm not even surprised! He has raised up the finances for another adoption!!!!!! He has laid it on the heart of a dear friend and fellow Believer to help us bring our almost 15-year-old son to the United States! I am thrilled and humbled. We will formally begin the process the last week of August!
I know Philippians 3:7-8 seems an odd scripture choice to pair with such wonderful news and yet, I see the relevance as clearly as if I were reading a commentary on the passage.
Adopting again is marvelous! Being blessed with a huge sum of money by someone we already love and respect is miraculous! Bringing a young man to the states just as his hope and time are waning is beyond glorious but knowing Christ is the reward.
For our family, adopting children is the vehicle He uses to show Himself to us and
I am so glad it is!
Thank you, Jesus for the far-reaching effects of your goodness! Your faithfulness and greatness are endless and your mercy is new every morning. Thank you for letting us know you.