About mid-October, he was placed in the Power Reading group, so now he has a whole hour with the reading specialist and a half an hour with the ESL instructor. We work on letter and number recognition at home and while driving around. Yesterday we had a lazy Saturday. I told him on Friday that we were going to stay home and I listed the things that we could do together, among those were working on his letters and watching Papa play his video game, Disney Infinity, which Ephraim loves to do. Well he said that he will just work on his letters with me and not watch the video game because he needs to learn how to read!
Why does he want to learn how to read so badly? He wants to read to his sister.
Yup, you read that right, his sister.
Earlier this summer, our agency Holt, opened up their Ethiopia program to 50 previous Holt Ethiopia adoptive parents living in a branch state. Very specific, I know. There are new steps in the process and an open communication with them and previous experience are needed. They did this in hopes of "working out the kinks" so that they can completely open their program back up. For now, if you do not meet those guide lines, then they only accept you if you are adopting an older child (over 5) or a Waiting Child.
So, we decided to start the process again, thinking it would take a few years....
Then I started looking at the Waiting Child photolisting (duh duh duuuuuuhhhh). These are the children that don't quite fit into what those prospective parents have checked off on their "open to" list. Typically older children, siblings and special needs.
I saw the face of a sweet little girl with special needs. Chris and I requested her information and took a couple of weeks to pray about it. One Sunday morning during worship I began crying as I heard God say that He wants us to pursue the adoption. So, we let Holt know. About a month later (waiting on a new progress report to arrive via snail mail from Ethiopia), we were interviewed over the phone by on of Holt's social workers. It was less than encouraging. She made us feel as though we are horrible candidates for any adoption.
BUT two days later, we got the phone call. I couldn't speak, couldn't think, couldn't do anything but cry. You see, we never heard God proclaim (think deep ominous voice here) "You will adopt this child". We simply heard "take the next step". I knew that we were acting in obedience and that God would reward that some day, this side of heaven or the other.
I know that you are shaking your head. I know that you are thinking that this is crazy, we just brought Ephraim home 8 months ago, we can't possibly afford to adopt, yet alone fly to Ethiopia again so soon. I know that you are thinking that because we are too.
None of this makes sense without God.
Right in the middle of our "but God!" is a "but, God".
I went to the Women of Faith conference here in Kansas City and one of the speakers said something that will always stick with me. "God will not move unless it is impossible. If we are able to do it ourselves, then we don't need Him."
Well, it's impossible.
God must move.
I'll tell you how you can help very soon. Today is Orphan Sunday and we are launching a fundraiser tonight. But first, REgroup with families from church. Ta ta for now!
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