We are so close I could almost reach out and hug Eliana! We just got a call from our adoption agency to let us know that our Article 5 was issued and overnighted to the next place! What is Article 5? Well, basically it’s a document from the U.S. Government letting the other government know that if our adoption is finalized then the U.S. will issue Eliana a visa to be able to come home! Usually it takes a minimum of 2 weeks for this to be issued. Ours was done in less than 24 hours! Praise Jesus! We are now just waiting for our official invitation to come get our girl!! We’re on the last step of all the steps before we leave!! What the heck?!?! My head is kind of spinning!! Please keep praying for us over the next few weeks, months, etc.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church (an uprising in the middle of the city against injustice) and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (So Be It!). Ephesians 3:20-21

Always a good day when we get new pictures of our sweet girl waiting for us to come bring her home! Won’t be long now!

Late last night, around 11pm our time, our daughter Eliana found out that she is an orphan no more. She found out she has a family that loves her and wants her more than words can express. And she even got some pictures of her new family. That’d be us!

She has a sweet friend that was adopted a little over a year ago living here in the U.S. and I was able to connect with her Mom last weekend over the phone. They are the ones that contacted the advocates back at the end of November to try and help get Eliana a family. If they hadn’t spoken up I can say with 99.9% certainty that Eliana would have never had a family. This sweet friend has been able to keep in contact with Eliana through instant messaging every week for the last year. So for us there was no one else in the world who we wanted to give our daughter this important news than her sweet friend.

We were all waiting around all Friday evening to see if Eliana would get on the computer and notice her friend was messaging her. Finally, just when I was about to go to bed I got a text from her friend’s Mom that said “Are you still up? She’s online!!!!” Of course I was WIDE awake then! While Eliana’s friend instant messaged her I got the play by play via text from her Mom. She barely got the news out that she had a family and Eliana asked her to please call her! She was so surprised and excited and once they got on the phone together there was lots of teenage girl type squealing. I had written a short note to her from Bill and I that her friend translated and read to her. I also gave her a few important questions to ask her like “what’s your favorite color” and “what do you want to do when you grow up.” Oh and not to forget the most important question, “what size shoe do you wear?” Momma’s got some shoe shopping to do!

My favorite part was when her friend’s Mom texted me while the girls were talking and said “She has a very sweet voice!!!!” I felt like I was there listening. Almost. Thank you Lord we will get to hear her sweet voice in person very soon!! I’m not sure I could take waiting any longer!

It was one of the most special (two hour) moments we have ever experienced. I really can’t even find the words to fully express what I feel right now. We are overwhelmed with God’s love for His children. We pray you are too.

Quick update to tell you that no, that was not an earthquake you felt while you were sleeping last night. No, that was God moving mountains AGAIN!!!!!! Last Friday our dossier copy (big stack of papers about us) was mailed to Chin@. On Monday they were hand delivered and we were issued a “Log-In Date” the same day. Today, we just got word that we have already been issued our LOA (letter of acceptance)!!! This is HUGE HUGE HUGE!!! People are waiting close to 80 days right now from the time their dossier is “Logged-In” to get their LOA!! And the office that issues these things is closing all of next week for a holiday so we really needed to get it so we could be working on the U.S. side of things while they are closed. Our agency asked them to please keep this in mind but our agency was 98% sure this would not happen. But, God.

We are MOVING fast now!! Please keep praying. For those that have adopted from Chin@ you know how crazy ridiculous this is and that only God could do this. Even my agency was doing a happy dance on the phone with me! I told them they shouldn’t be too shocked because I have half the world praying! Thank you for your prayers! Please keep it up!! Sorry if this doesn’t make sense! I have phone calls to make and things to email so I’m typing fast and gotta run!  Go team Jesus!

Since I updated on Friday I feel like my heart has been on overdrive with such a range of emotions coming in and out. Friday afternoon my sister’s sweet 15 month old niece, Sophia, graduated from earth to Heaven after a six month battle with leukemia. We do not mourn without hope but it does not lessen the pain of losing a precious child. My hearts aches for her parents. I cannot imagine their hurt. I love what a friend said a few weeks back when his uncle passed away and it is my heart regarding this great loss of Sophia. And that is this, “Death, you didn’t win. You just became the footstool for Sophia to step into Heaven. Jesus Wins Again!”

In the midst of this great loss we have also experienced tremendous blessing. This week we received a donation that was the remaining amount of money we needed for our adoption. When we started this process just a few short weeks ago we had no money saved for an adoption but the Lord said GO and the money would be there. I believed He said that we would have ALL the money before we were even “officially matched” with Eliana. Less than two weeks in to the process we received a very generous (and miraculous) donation and we had 75% of the money we needed. Through t-shirt sales and many other generous donations we were almost there and knew that God would provide the rest. The donation we received this week gives us 100% of the funds to cover this adoption in full. We received 100% just hours before receiving an email saying that we had received “Pre-Approval” to be matched with Eliana. Pre-Approval is what means you are “officially matched.” THAT IS A MIRACLE!!! But that is just what He does! PRAISE GOD!!!

For those who are wondering, we are going to continue to sell t-shirts on our website for two reasons. The first is simply so that you will continue to raise awareness and give voice to the fatherless. Every time you wear your shirt you create an opportunity to share about what God is doing in the lives of these precious children and how others can be involved. The second reason is to continue to support others who are adopting. We have several close friends who are also adopting right now and we would love to be able to take this t-shirt money and use it to bring more children home. So for those who want to know where the money is going now you know.

Over the weekend we have also been able to connect with several people that are very important for our adoption. Several of these people are helping us connect with other people that have the ability to request some of the U.S. side of paperwork be expedited so that we have an even greater chance to get this adoption finalized before Eliana’s birthday. I don’t want to go in to too much detail on that but we are overwhelmed at the favor of God for our daughter that He would connect us in such a way.

The most recent thing that happened was just last night and it makes my heart do cartwheels. Many of you that read the advocate’s blog knew that all of Eliana’s friends were adopted last year. The Mother of one of those friends contacted me last night! How exciting is that?! Her daughter talks with Eliana every week!!!!! This Mom is super sweet and glad to answer any questions we have and I’m so looking forward to talking with her more and learning even more information about our daughter. This is just huge for Eliana too. This sweet friend is like family to her. Really, they’ve lived together like sisters. How sweet of God to let us be able to reconnect these sweet girls here in their new homes. I could keep writing about how much that means to my heart but I don’t have time right now. My heart is overflowing…

Let my cry come right into your presence, God;
provide me with the insight that comes only from your Word.
Give my request your personal attention,
rescue me on the terms of your promise.
Let praise cascade off my lips;
after all, you’ve taught me the truth about life!
And let your promises ring from my tongue;
every order you’ve given is right.
Put your hand out and steady me
since I’ve chosen to live by your counsel.
I’m homesick, God, for your salvation;
I love it when you show yourself!
Invigorate my soul so I can praise you well ,
use your decrees to put iron in my soul.
And should I wander off like a lost sheep—seek me!
I’ll recognize the sound of your voice.

Psalm 119:171 (The Message)