A message delivered for our Joshua!

We have been blessed beyond words with some of the most precious friends through this adoption. They are other parents adopting from Ethiopia and we all network and pray for each other and walk with each other through this journey via a web board. We have never met these people in person, but they are some of the most treasured friendships we have! We understand this unique journey and calling. We laugh together, compare notes, cry over losses and frustrations, and challenge each other to press on through the Word of God. Several of these amazing people have even supported our adoption by sending money...people in need themselves of funds to adopt and having never laid eyes on us, yet they give. They are some of the most inspiring, surrendered people we know. Our love and admiration for these families runs deep... many of them returning more than once to adopt orphans from other countries, many of them starting over with children after being grandparents, and almost all of them, like us, not the wealthiest people in the world. They are living in the faith zone and God moves in miraculous ways to provide for them to open their homes to these incredible children. It's never easy. Some of them find themselves in very difficult situations when they get their children home, ranging from unexpected illness in their children, to attachment issues, to financial tensions. Nevertheless, they willingly surrender to the call to care for the orphan. As one of them has declared..."My life is not my own". How blessed we are to know these amazing warriors in the Kingdom of God.

One of these precious people is now in Ethiopia, picking up her children, ending one journey and beginning a new one. She made the effort to see our Joshua and this is what she reported to us today. It touched us deeply and gave us great peace in a day that was a bit sad as we heard of Julianna's malaria. God is such a great Father, reassuring us He has a plan that we will look back on and marvel at. This was the message we got (we were all discussing pouting in children):

"JoLynn, this is where you are in trouble! Joshua is so darn adorable that you won't be able to say "no" to his pout! I found him and bent down to hug him. He looked at me with his huge brown eyes and then stuck out his hand for me to shake. I asked a Nanny to tell him that I knew his Mommy and that she loved him, which they happily did. He was watching a worship video. I knew you'd like that!"

What an amazing gift!! These friends that go before us to get their children and love on ours become like aunts and uncles. Words cannot describe how deeply we love these families. We cannot wait to go get our children and then have our turn to love on the ones waiting, telling them how much their new mommies and daddies love them. It's a process of bonding that takes place before the child is united with their parents. To all our adopting friends....how we LOVE you! Thank you to all of you who have prayed for our adoption and our children and our finances. We are praying for you! Don't grow weary, our dear friends...the road is long and hard, and it literally takes fighting with the devil to get these children home. Satan hates adoption...it too clearly represents God heart for us. We've got your backs in prayer. Stay dangerously surrendered!!

Thank you all who are praying for Joshua and Julianna! We are working hard on Julianna's dossier. Praying that she can be moved to the Care Center soon.

Love
Pastor Kurt and JoLynn