I know that I’ve said it before, but I simply cannot emphasize the AMAZING bond that occurs between adoptive families… Truly, there is nothing like the connection that transcends across time and distance. Since the beginning of this process, I have met adoptive families and have felt an instant comradely and understanding. We have been SO blessed to meet two local families, here in Utah and have been able to spend time with them. The Blair Family just returned from Ethiopia and meeting their kids! Even better, they passed court on the first try! Abriha and Tariku are theirs! The Autrys just returned from Ethiopia, attending their Embassy appointment and bringing their FOUR children home! Can’t wait to love on these kiddos!
Visit their blogs to see pics of their kiddos and read their journeys!
http://www.therealblairfamily.com
Even though not all of the families we’ve met are local, that doesn’t matter. AT. ALL. Despite the distance, I have made some of my very closest friends through adoption. They GET IT. They share our passion. Their hearts break with ours, over the cause of the orphan. They read the scripture and KNOW that God commands us all to help the less fortunate. They pray, encourage, text, write, call and keep us going. They rejoice in the triumphs like getting our fingerprints done, getting a form back from Uncle Sam, turning in our paper “baby” as if it was their own victory! They wait anxiously to hear updates, pray daily, ache deeply, and share the greatest empathy I’ve ever known.
Let me share a couple of stories that will illustrate this connection clearly. A high school friend shared about a family she knows who had just adopted their baby boy. She shared their blog with me and I began to follow. Turns out, this couple is part of our agency, brought their baby home and lives in WICHITA---5 minutes from my parents! Ummmm, could I have planned that? NO! But God could! I can’t wait to sit and talk with Brenda and Chad Fleming and meet their little guy Elias when back in Wichita! What a small world!!!
And then, there is Debbie Marquez. Can I just tell you ALL about her? I met Debb through the online group as well. I first noticed that she was THE encourager on the online posts and facebook. She always does a spectacular job to check in with people and pray and encourage! Definitely one of her STRONG spiritual gifts. And so, we began to chat and realized our blogs share the same address (except for our last names). I have followed Debb and Jeff’s journey and watched as they became DTE. They waited almost a YEAR until they got their referral for sweet, Baby “K.” Then, they became stuck in the court closures after traveling to Ethiopia and falling deeper in love with their precious angel. Baby K was 2.5 months at referral and now he is 7 months. Can you imagine missing those many months of growth and development and bonding with YOUR child? I can’t. I have been utterly GLUED to Debb’s blog and facebook everyday to find out updates. Lee and I have prayed for the missing piece of the court puzzle (which is a “simple” letter from the Ministry of Women’s, Children’s, and Youth Affairs) so they may pass court and proceed to an Embassy appointment. He even said to me that their pain would be like someone taking away our biological child after we spent a week with her and not knowing when we’d hold her again. That notion brings my heart the greatest pain I’ve ever known. It’s the only semblance of an idea of what she is going through. The difference? She has MET, HELD, FED, LOVED and PRAYED over her child. She knows him and began bonding and now is waiting in the agonizing wait to get him home! It is heart wrenching to know that Debb’s momma’s heart LONGs for her child, and her arms ACHE to hold him again and bring him to his forever home. Do you know why I am SO engrossed in their story? Well for one, this is the first journey I have followed completely from paperchase to the agonizing daily battle of waiting. All that said, we have some updates. Although the Marquez family has not received their letter as yet, God was working behind the scenes. While in Ethiopia, they met a 10 year old boy that they instantly connected with. Long story short, he came up as adoptable on our agency’s Waiting Child List. Skipping to present day….Debb and Jeff have accepted the referral for “Jacob!” They will have TWO boys! God has prolonged the wait so that they would know that they should have BOTH boys! In the beginning they felt there were TWO. I felt it too and shared that with Debb. They were elated all the while to receive a referral for Baby K, but turns out God was weaving the fibers of their family together their entire wait. Can’t you BELIEVE this? I can’t! They are blessed double!
Debb and I have spoken on the phone and she has become my dearest adoption friend. We have laughed and cried and prayed and ached together. She “gets” me and can utter the words that my heart and head are already thinking and sometimes afraid to admit. She is SAFE to me and I can be me. So, I can empathize right with her. Read her blog and you’ll get it. Her experience in Ethiopia was like a book I couldn’t put down and couldn’t wait to pick back up. Her friendship is dear and pure. Her heart is faithful and true. Her joy and genuineness is refreshing. Her faith is an example and her steadfast perseverance is enviable. And to think we have never met FACE TO FACE! (SOON!) So why do I feel so close to her? Because God brought us together. I feel we are kindred spirits. I feel I have known her for years. I cannot fathom this life without her and I couldn’t make it on this long agonizing journey void of her presence.
Check out their AMAZING story!
http://www.marquezfamilyjourney.blogspot.com
So there you have it. Maybe this post will give you an inkling of the miracles we experience on a daily basis. It is mind blowing and incredible! Because of these people, I now know that this journey is not only about the end result: a child. It is also about the growth, trust, faith and friendship that is formed along the path. It is about the community that pulls us through.
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