There is still HOPE!

So after waiting a couple of days to hear what people and agencies had to say about the statement sent out by DOS, we have come to the conclusion that the U.S. government is wrong about what is going on in the Congo.  It appears they are not working very closely with the DGM and are not being well informed.

 

We have heard from numerous agencies and lawyers that are in the DRC talking with the DGM that they are in fact making huge steps towards getting our kids home.

It looks like they are giving 15 exit letters out and it just the beginning.

From what agencies are saying, the movement is VERY positive and ALL of our children will be coming home.

Its just a matter of time.

 

So thank you so much for your prayers and keep praying!

Thank the Lord, the DOS gave us an inaccurate report and it looks like our children will come home.

Nevermind.....

 

An official statement has come out from the U.S. in Congo that the suspension is in no way lifted.

They were letting a very small portion of families go home based on how long ago they had their exit letters.

They said that rest of us will be waiting until the Congo reforms their adoption laws and sets them in motion to get our exit letters. 

 

I am still hoping that maybe by some miracle the U.S. has no idea what they are talking about.

This morning we were told by multiple people who are in the DRC that the new station in Congo was saying the suspension was over.  Throughout the day people had multiple reports of the suspension being at least close to over.  I just do not understand how all of the sudden, everything we were told today can just be taken back.

Apparently the DRC said that they have no idea how long it will take to reform their laws. There have been many countries that reformed their laws during peoples adoption processes and it was in no way a fast process.

 

We heard some very conflicting information today and again are hoping this information is somehow wrong.

I feel like this is the definition of unjust and to be perfectly honest I am just really angry tonight.

Please be praying for us tonight as well as for all the other families who are receiving this terrible news.  After spending a day thinking our children could come home soon, this information really hurts.

Please pray for some clear information for all of us waiting families.
Nothing that we are hearing makes sense and its frustrating and infuriating.
We know that Gods plan is beautiful but I am just having a really hard time seeing the beauty in this right now.

Isryelle and Boaz are coming HOME!!!!

We got news today that the D.R.C. has given about 15 families exit letters!

It appears that the suspension is officially lifted!

Now these families who got their exit letters are families who have had visas for about a year.

 

We still have quite a few hoops to jump through before we can head over to the D.R.C. and get our kiddos so keep praying for a smooth process.

If everything continues to move in the D.R.C. there is a very good chance we could have our babies in our arms this summer!

 

I am in shock and pretty much in a constant state of crying today.

I can not believe how faithful and merciful our Lord is!

It is a privilege getting to watch His mighty plan unfold and watching D.R.C. adoptive parents give Him ALL the glory!

 

So please be praying for all the "T's" to be crossed and the "I's" to be dotted on our case in the next couple of months.

Please also be praying for travel expenses.

We ended up having to use all of our travel money to pay for Isryelle and Boaz's car in the Congo.

We are beyond excited!

Hope

I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen to my children who are STUCK in the D.R.C.

The embassy had a few more conference calls with the families waiting here in the U.S. for their children and it was not an encouraging call.

They do not seem to be moving in a positive direction as far as lifting the suspension.

They are trying to change their adoption laws and reinforce some rules that could cause problems for those of us that have already adopted but don't meet the requirements.

 

The two biggest issues being talked about by other families right now....

1. The D.R.C. wants to enforce a law that states that families can not have more than two children in their home when they adopt from the D.R.C. 

This poses many issues for families who have more than two children but have already adopted.

Will their children be taken away?

Will they be forced to stay in the D.R.C. forever?

As of right now we only have two children so this law does not effect us.

Unfortunately this means that if the kids continue to be stuck in the Congo for years to come, we can not grow our family.

If you know our family at all, you know that we are hoping to have more than four children.

We just keep praying and hoping that it will not be years and years before they will lift the suspension and let children leave.

 

2. The D.R.C. wants to enforce a law that parents have to be married for five years before adopting children from their country.

We have not been married for five years. 

We are completely uncertain what this will mean for us.

 

The D.R.C. has not said for sure how these new laws will effect families who are already through the adoption process.  For right now we wait and have an enormous amount of blind faith. 
At times, I feel frightened thinking about the future and what it might mean for us.
We are really trying to take each day while it comes and have HOPE that the Lord is going to make something beautiful out of this mess!

Happy Mother's Day

I personally LOVE Mother's Day.

God created something very special when He made Eve a mother and I think its something to be celebrated.

I truly believe that God designed me to be a mother.

Nothing in my life ever "fit" quite like being a mama.

I spend my Mother's Day being loved on by my family and it was perfect.

 

Something our pastor said in church today really caught my attention.

He said that every child has the perfect mother for him or her.

Its not that the mother is perfect, just perfect for that specific child.

 

It has made me think about all the waiting we have been doing.

First we wait for Isryelle and Boaz.

Now we are waiting on little baby Penelope.

We are also waiting to have another biological baby.

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting.

 

I am in awe of the fact that the Lord has called us to wait.

He knows what children are meant to be ours and he has called us to wait for those children.

People ask me all the time why we chose to adopt domestically six months ago and why we did not just have a baby.

I don't really have a good answer for those people.

The Lord told my heart that there was another little orphan out there who needed a mommy.
He told me I was that mommy.

This Mother's Day, I had the joy of holding my little Irelyn in my arms and hearing her giggle in my ear.
I had the excitement of knowing that our little Penelope will soon be in our arms.
I had the sorrow of feeling separated from my sweet Isryelle and Boaz and the comfort of knowing they are right where God wants them.

All in all, my cup runneth over.

She has a name!

We have been going over kids names for months.

I really thought this baby was a boy so I have been mostly focusing on boy names.

We had a few girl names but to be honest, I had not really thought too much about having to name another girl.

 

When we found out the baby was a girl, Gavin immediately decided her name.

He knew without a shadow of a doubt what he wanted to name his third little girl.

I on the other hand, have an issue committing to names.

I wanted to leave it up in the air until I was sure.

 

So for the past few weeks, we have been tossing around names.

My mom and I were out shopping the other day looking for baby shower decorations.

I kept thinking about one name while we were picking out whimsical butterflies and chubby little mushroom decorations.

 

When I got home, I looked up what the name meant.

Meaning isn't everything when it comes to picking a name but sometimes it helps push me over the edge.

The name means "patient".

It could not be more perfect for this little miracle the Lord has placed in our lives after years of trying to be patient.

To me, patience means joyfully waiting on the Lord to fulfill His plan for our lives.

This adoption journey has been rough at times.
There have been moments when I have wanted to just give up and grow our family the "traditional" way.
Its funny how giving birth seems like a cake walk after a few years of adoption.
But I chose to focus on Godly patience.
The Lord LOVES when we wait on Him.

The name we have chosen for our fourth child is Penelope.

The middle name was much easier to choose.
We like to give our kids family names for their middle names.
Gavin's sister's middle name is Jenae.
It means, God is gracious.

The name just about sums up our domestic adoption.
My mamma's heart has been waiting what feels like forever to bring more children into our family.
The Lord is keeping Isryelle and Boaz where they are at the moment for reasons he is not sharing with us just yet.
Even in a situation that seems nothing but painful and unnecessary, God is gracious to bring a new little baby into our lives.

To top it off, Penelope's aunt happens to be a beautiful, brave, gracious, loving woman of God and I can't think of anyone better to name this little miracle after.

"K" has asked us if she can help name the baby.  We feel like it would be special to have Penelope's birth mother help give her a good strong name.  So Penelope will have two middle names just as soon as "K" finds the right one.

So there you have it....Penelope Jenae.