{Introducing Andie-Grace}

 

When we first began this journey the Lord gave us perfect peace over three specific things…

1. He would make a way financially

2.  He would orchestrate everything perfectly and go before us paving the way smoothly for us to follow

3. He “gives and takes away” and that, by His power alone, He can do both in the same season

We’ve already been blown away by how quickly our home study went, how every financial need has been met thus far and how faithful He has been each step of the way.

Then, late last week He decided to really rock our world, blow our minds and bring our daughter to us in timing that is very, very quick even in this crazy paced hurry up and wait adoption journey.

Two weeks ago, I was a mess.  Our dossier had arrived back to our agency from the Consulate sealed and ready to be sent to China.  But, there was a hang up.  And what was supposed to happen on Monday didn’t.  It didn’t happen on Tuesday either…or Wednesday.  For nearly a week, everything that I had poured my heart into for the past five months was sitting just ready to go on someone’s desk and I couldn’t do anything about it.  Thankfully, on Thursday of that week we received an email that we were DTC {our dossier was going to China}.  I was emotionally spent.  I know that the reasoning for the wait was perfect now and so meant to be.  But, y’all, I pray daily for patience and could’ve used a heaping helping of it that week for sure!

Once we knew we were DTC, we were told that Log In {meaning that China has received everything} was taking about 3 weeks.  I had heard of it happening closer to one week…but just once.  In my mind, last week was the “whew” week…take a deep breath and relax.  We didn’t expect to hear anything and were trying to wrap our minds around a tremendous blessing of a donation that we were given to bring Andie-Grace home.  I was still trying to process a dear soul blessing our family {and, ultimately, Christ} in such a beautiful way.  It’s so hard for me to find the words to put on paper that accurately describes the thankfulness that we have and I had spent a lot of my prayer time just asking the Lord to give me the words to say.

Then on Friday morning, just as I had poured my second cup of coffee and sat down to pen my thank you note I heard my phone vibrate in the kitchen.  I had just missed a call from our agency.

{FYI…they don’t call unless you call them or it’s something BIG!}

I was shaking {two cups of coffee, mind you} and just kept saying “breathe Rebecca, breathe”.  Before the phone was answered, I knew what was going to happen.

Our precious social worker, Emily, was in a meeting but was told to be pulled out if I called.  So, I waited for her to be notified and make it to her office to answer my call.  Lots of deep breaths, friends…lots.

She said that she had some good news and some more good news.

“I’ll take the good news.” :)

She shared that we had actually received a log in most likely the night before {keep in mind China is 12 hours ahead of us} and that our agency’s director in China knew before anyone else and immediately locked a file of a sweet baby girl that came up on the shared list hours after we were logged in.

She then proceeded to tell me her age…one day shy of one year old….and a bit about her medical history and where she lives now.

I cried as she read our daughter’s file to us.

There was no doubt.  She was exactly, precisely what we have prayed for.  Every single detail.

God wastes nothing, friends.

If the DTC had happened when I wanted it to we would’ve missed her.  Instead, it made it just in time…and just as I was in band rehearsal that evening singing the song that has been my theme song from day one of this journey… “Waiting Here for You”.

God winked at us time and time again as we looked through her file ourselves all day Friday…as we sent it to our favorite doctor of all time and received a great report…as we had a dear friend {who just happens to be from the same province as our girl} translate it for us a second time…as we saw her first video of her rocking and dancing to what surely is the top pop chart song in her birth country…and even as she sat in a pale, pink crib matching the one she has waiting for her at home.

She’s a southern girl at heart….a short drive from the South China Sea and she’s going to make the sweetest southern belle.

She’s tiny.  Really, God has surprised us with this one.  I’ve done a little shopping here and there thinking that since most babies are closer to two years old when they come home that she’d be about a 18 month or 2 years size.  But, she’s barely 14 whole pounds.

I called my daddy in tears on Saturday after looking through her closet and realizing that the only clothes I have for her are her big sister’s.  Still hanging with tags.  Beautiful, smocked dresses that were never worn…that were meant for our fourth child all along.

God wastes nothing.

So, we prayed….and we knew that, half a world away, the only thing we could give her on her first birthday is the promise of a family to love her, to adore her, to nurture her, and to introduce her to the King of Kings who knows every piece of her broken past and has called her by name.

I spent Saturday afternoon typing up our Letter to Intent to Adopt her expecting fully to wait about a week before we would know that she is ours.

We spent Sunday morning in worship…with full hearts and a message that was straight from the Holy Spirit reassuring her to us.

He wastes nothing.  Not our past.  Not our future.  Not our brokenness.  Not our hope.  It is all for His glory alone. 

By 6pm on Sunday evening, before we had even known China was at work, we had pre-approval matching her to us.  In our social worker’s words…that was so fast!

He is always true to His promises.  He has been proving Himself over and over and over.  He will always do immeasurably more.

Now, we begin the process of getting ready to bring her home.  I’ve been told it’s typically about 4-6 months but, y’all, I am not even thinking about those typical timeframes anymore.  God has already surpassed anything I ever expected.  {A referral of our daughter’s file within hours of our paperwork getting there?????  Really?!?!?! Many wait months and months and I was fully expecting that it’d be at least Christmas before we saw her face.  He’s SO good!}

I’m anxiously awaiting a call this morning to find out how I can send her a care package letting her know that she has a family.  I’m thinking a pillow with our picture on it for her barren, plywood crib.  Sweet love needs a place to lay her head that has a little cushion…and some socks…and a blanket…and a rattle…and a babydoll…and a bow or two.

I’ve got more paperwork to get started on and am trying to think of the perfect way to fundraise for the last chunk that’s needed to bring her home.  I’ve said time and time again that I’d rather just give birth naturally…now I mean it.  This is hard, friends.  In so many ways.

Oh my heart is so torn now.  We have seen her face.  We have watched her wiggle in her crib…suck on her hand…and do the army crawl after a little toy ball.  We know her name.  We know that it means “gift” in her native language. We know where she lives and the poverty she is experiencing.  Our hearts break.

If nothing else, this story has been a testament to the faithfulness of prayer.  So, I ask, friends, that you pray for God to move mountains to bring her home quickly and that He continues to pave the way for us to get to her.  And for her to know that she’s loved and wanted and has an amazing community to support to dote on her soon.  And that she’s warm and fed and held…until the day we can call her an orphan no more.

“But now, this is what the Lord says- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear Not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.  Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you.”  Isaiah 43: 1-4 

 

Friends~ It is with greatest joy that I introduce you to our beautiful Andie-Grace…