Fighting to Get To Our Kids!

We were told by so many families adopting internationally adoption was not for the faint of heart. The devil simply does not like adoption. It's such a picture of what God does in our lives as we are adopted and grafted into the Vine. It is literally altering generations for the Kingdom of God, taking children with no inheritance and giving them a heritage...very much a snapshot of how God takes us as sinners, orphans living with no inheritance of heaven, and makes us His children with all the same rights and privileges as the very Son of God! Wow! So powerful.

So, the resistance we've felt in recent weeks to us traveling to Ethiopia hasn't been a shock to us and God has been so faithful to stand with us, strengthening us. Our vehicle situation became an immediate need and God provided through a precious family a beautiful van. We are now struggling with illness as Kurt has pneumonia and JoLynn the stomach virus. We won't be deterred. We continue to press on, knowing this is but a test of our faith. Kurt preached today regardless of the pneumonia and God's grace was there.

It feels almost like a battle for our children in these last moments before travel and you must get a fighting spirit about you, unwilling to let anything stop you from bringing these beautiful little ones home. What a moment of reward as we lay eyes on them for the first time.

Packing has been a continual process since November 3rd. Our living room is full of suitcases and bags as I consistently pack and check things off my list. Two weeks from today we will have our children safely sleeping in our hotel room. No doubt I will watch them through the night, soaking in the reality that they are finally in my care.

We have pictures of both children on our refrigerator and today I was filling up my cup with water from the fridge to make hot chocolate and my eyes fell deep into one of those pictures. I was noticing how tiny Julianna's hands were pressed against the care center floor and imagining her hand in mine. I compared her hands to the thick, round hands of her new brother Joshua and smiled at his cute, round face. Suddenly, I realized water and powdered chocolate were running over the top of the tall cup as I was snapped back into reality. I have been looking at those pictures of Joshua for 16 months and of Julianna for six months. I can't imagine how it feels to suddenly be looking at those same faces in the flesh. That moment is but 14 days away.

Thank you for covering us with your prayers...pray for good weather in Denver for our flights going and coming home. Pray for our health and for the health of our babies in Ethiopia. Pray for the multitude of details we have to cover before leaving from child care for our two here and their busy schedules to the paperwork we need to bring with us for embassy. We so need your prayers.

We will try to post updates from Ethiopia. Can't wait to post pictures of us holding our children!

Kurt and JoLynn