Referral!!!!!

God, You are Amazing! My cell phone rang today during the few quiet moments of the day around 4:15. "Hmmmm," I thought, "703 area code. It could be one of my two dearest girlfriends in No VA or it could be America World." When Terra Bailey said hello, my heart started racing. She gave me a minute to catch my breath and slow my breathing when she added Keith to the conference call. We heard the news together, an infant boy. My knees hit the floor as soon as I hung up the phone. Thank you, Lord, for your many blessings!



Officially, our referral is for an 14 month old boy. He is a cuddly, chunky, little bundle. When our family passes court, we can share his pictures with you all. Thank you for your prayers that have encouraged us during this wait.

Perfect Timing

I love getting a timely word

A Letter to Ethiopia

Dear you,
Waiting is one of the hardest things to do. Nothing would be more agonizing than waiting at home for the referral phone call. I think about receiving the call repeatedly throughout my day, especially when the phone rings. I do not stay at home and listen for the phone though. I go out to the grocery store, Costco, Joshua's art class, Starbuck's, the library, the park, bible studies, MOPS, etc. I go out and live life, but always, I am thinking about you. I try to imagine what you look like and how God is developing you. It feels a lot like when I was pregnant with Joshua. My thoughts often switch to you. My concentration is divided these days. My heart is growing larger so I can cover you in love. I can't wait to see your face and hear your name. I am so thankful that God already sees you and knows your name.
Love you,
Momma

Moving Up to #2! (unofficially)

I am so ready for this referral. Can you tell??? Please join us in praying for this child or children that God has chosen for our family. Pray for God to move mountains. He tells us to pray from our heart and tell him our desires, not just what we think He wants to hear. I am thankful for all of you who are praying!

The Doorbell

During the week of my "hunch", also the week of Easter, the doorbell rang. A man working in my neighbor's yard asked us to roll up the window of my dad's truck. He was about to send a lot of dust and pollen into the air. I agreed and closed the door. Meanwhile Joshua, my 2 1/2 yr old son, came running down the stairs crying as I closed the door. Confused, I asked what the problem was. He just knew that his baby brother was at the door. When he heard the doorbell ring, he told my mom, "That's my baby brother!" and ran for the stairs. Oh, how I wish that it was his baby brother. We're all ready!
Still no referral . . . praying about resting in God's timing.

Tea and Testimonies at MOPS

"If we live for something bigger than ourselves, we'll never be cheated. We'll never lose out; we will always be given more than our wildest dreams." Tom Davis in Red Letters.



Today I had the opportunity to share my testimony at my MOPS group. When I heard about the opportunity about a month ago, I felt a strong push to sign myself up to speak to about 100 ladies. This was wierd, so unlike me. Public speaking scares me to death. I don't like to be on stage. I don't like the lime light. In fact, I am quite comfortable to be behind the scenes. The problem is that I couldn't remain silent. I am learning to be an advocate for the orphan. God is stirring up a strong passion within me to speak for those that cannot speak for themselves. It's straight out of Proverbs, chapter 31, verse 8.
After speaking, I was so excited to see women picking up AWAA info, Visiting Orphans Upcoming Mission Trip Schedules and Children's Hopechest material. One sweet mom told me she had recently had a dream about walking with an unknown African child and then came to MOPS to unexpectantly hear and see more about Ethiopian and Ugandan orphans. No coincidence!
Although I was scared and wondered if my words would resonate with anyone, I am so thankful for the stretching.

#3 Unofficially!

We are now third in line on the unofficial list for an infant boy. I'm not sure where we stand for siblings since the single placement is more likely. We are members of this incredible Yahoo group made up of other America World families adopting from Ethiopia. Not all families participate, so we don't know for sure how many families are before us in line. Late last night, I learned about another referral for a baby boy. Thank you, God, for opening the doors for more referrals. Keep them coming! We are inching our way to the top of the line. In the past one round of referrals could include as many as 7 infants. I'm praying for another round like that! I am also praying for God's perfect timing.

Danielle