January 2010.....the beginning

        I should start back a little farther than Jan. 2010 to really describe what we believe to be a few more puzzle pieces of our journey.  I love being a mom !  I was made to be a mom ! I have always believed that being a stay at home mom was such a blessing and I appreciated and valued that I was able to have the opportunity and still feed our family....I have never taken that blessing lightly.  In 2008 after what I will summarize as a lot of wrestling with God over the issue, I felt a strong pull to return to school and get my nurse practitioner degree.  I was a bit confused by such a strong pull, that again I believe was fully led by God's prompting, when I firmly believed in being fully home with my children as a mother. Long story short, I began school with the belief that I am going to use this Doctor of Nursing Practice/ FNP degree to minister to people through their health. I just assumed it would be about the "people in McMinnville".  Little did I know what God had in store.....I still don't know what God has in store for us, but I do know He has it figured out!

While in my policy class during my second year of my DNP program, a colleague of mine did a very powerful and moving presentation about the plight of Haitian women and children. The presentation specifically addressed the astounding maternal and infant mortality rates present within this third world country. I was incredibly moved and touched by what seemed to be unnecessary death and human suffering. I brought the presentation home with me to show Ryan. Ryan does not watch or read much of my school work, particularly not that of other students, but he too was so moved by what we were hearing.  This was the beginning of a search and learning experience into a country and its people that neither Ryan nor I knew much about. I began to read books about the customs and culture of Haiti and more about the plight of the Haitian people. I was completely immersed in learning about Haiti and in awe of the strength and resilience of its people.

         Four weeks later, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti with the epicenter near Port-au-Prince. The death and destruction was incomprehensible. Both Ryan and I immediately felt a pull and an up-close and personal empathy for what was occurring. I felt as though this had happened to people I knew and loved. While neither of us can recall how the topic was brought up, we both felt very strongly that God was calling us to follow His leading and begin the steps to pursue an adoption. We cannot remember the initial conversation or who brought it up, we just both knew!  The amazing part was that we both felt such certainty and strength in the calling. Ryan and I have never really talked about pursuing adoption and have felt our family was complete with the 3 children that we already had. We have always said to each other that if a child ever was put in front of us that needed a family, we would always open our home and our hearts to having another child, but have never felt called to actively pursue that path. Now was different; God was calling us and we had decisions to make regarding what to do with that calling.

         At about 10pm I sent and e-mail to Bethany Christian Services, a Christian adoption agency, with the full understanding that adoption agencies were being inundated with well-meaning people moved by these adorable children suffering and many of them without homes or families. I really did not expect a response and if there was going to be one, I knew it would take time. I really felt that I was fulfilling what God asked of us by taking the first step and “that was that”.  

       At 8:20am the next morning my phone rang and Carrie from Bethany Christian Services was calling me in response to my e-mail. While we were talking I said that I was actually really surprised to hear from her, let alone so soon. I said that I was sure she was receiving “tons” of inquiries into people wanting to adopt a child from Haiti. She told me that she had received “tons” of inquiries but had not returned any of the phone calls at that point except mine. I asked her why and she said there was just “something” telling her to contact me. I immediately paused and thought in my mind and heart, “ok Lord, here we go!”. Against the odds she returned our call and I felt an immediate connection to Carrie. She understood that this was a calling from God and a desire placed in our heart by Him. I discussed with her that this was truly not a “buy a bunny at Easter” type of event, but that we were truly serious and following the prompting of the Lord. Carrie has been and continues to be one of the biggest blessing throughout this process. God has interwoven her into this experience in only a way He can. God is using Carrie in an amazing way. 

       Our adoption application proceeded against all odds, some really strong odds, and we were approved by BCS and eventually by Dixie at the Haitian orphanage to adopt. Adoptions were closed in Haiti and the agency and the orphanage were not accepting ANY new applications, except ours.  God is bigger than all those obstacles and He is driving this ship !  So one year later, we are matched up with our children and anxiously waiting to get to bring them home.  How God worked with our hearts to know that Judith and Kerby were the children for us is another story for another blog.......

Many blessing to you !