A Clear Sign
Sunday, June 22, 2008
The Whole Story, part two
It was nothing short of a miracle! By the end of 2004, Matt's income had almost doubled at Dealer Fusion. He had also begun his business with World Financial Group. We were living in a bigger home, and I no longer had to research adoption "in secret".
Yet the cost was still daunting. While we were renting a more comfortable home and had less monthly financial strain, we did not have anything saved. But God had always taken care of us, and we'd gone through very difficult times when Matt had been in ministry living on a "faith" budget for almost...well, our whole marriage minus one year. We told ourselves, "If God is leading us to do this, then God will provide."
Since Elijah was now about 2 1/2, we knew that it was time to really decide about whether to have another child. One day I typed "Christian adoption" into Google. There were a lot of listings, but one certain ad in the sidebar caught my eye. It was America World Adoption Agency (AWAA). I clicked on it right away and I just knew that this was the right agency for us. I saw an endorsement by Steven Curtis Chapman on the home page, and it was such an encouragement to see that he and his wife had adopted from China after having a biological daughter and two sons just as we did. On the website there was a place to send for an information packet, which I did, and then there was a listing of upcoming adoption seminars. There was one scheduled in Southern California that very weekend. It happened to be at a church in Manhattan Beach which Matt had been extremely close to being hired at for the youth pastor position about 4 years prior. I called our neighbors to see if they were free to watch the kids, which they were, and we were on our way.
The night before the seminar, Matt got a call from Dealer Fusion: he was being given a new territory to oversee with a $5,000/yr raise! This was another CLEAR SIGN.
I probably don't need to say that the seminar was just what we needed. We got to meet a regional public relations rep from AWAA who shared his adoption story and how God provided for that. We got to meet another couple with their baby who had just returned from China and hear how amazing that had been. Both of these families had biological children before adopting. We were impressed with the video we saw of the director of AWAA and his heart for orphans and adoption. We got the information on the cost breakdown and many available ways in which to cover the cost--cost seems to be the one issue for every adoptive couple. We also found out that we met the requirements for China adoption (this was before the China Center of Adoption Affairs added the "net worth" requirement). When we got home from the seminar, the information packet had arrived in the mail. We were so impressed by AWAA.
Now that we had an agency chosen, we decided to take two weeks to pray again before beginning to step forth. This is what we heard:
And what are the ways* of the Lord?
Yet the cost was still daunting. While we were renting a more comfortable home and had less monthly financial strain, we did not have anything saved. But God had always taken care of us, and we'd gone through very difficult times when Matt had been in ministry living on a "faith" budget for almost...well, our whole marriage minus one year. We told ourselves, "If God is leading us to do this, then God will provide."
Since Elijah was now about 2 1/2, we knew that it was time to really decide about whether to have another child. One day I typed "Christian adoption" into Google. There were a lot of listings, but one certain ad in the sidebar caught my eye. It was America World Adoption Agency (AWAA). I clicked on it right away and I just knew that this was the right agency for us. I saw an endorsement by Steven Curtis Chapman on the home page, and it was such an encouragement to see that he and his wife had adopted from China after having a biological daughter and two sons just as we did. On the website there was a place to send for an information packet, which I did, and then there was a listing of upcoming adoption seminars. There was one scheduled in Southern California that very weekend. It happened to be at a church in Manhattan Beach which Matt had been extremely close to being hired at for the youth pastor position about 4 years prior. I called our neighbors to see if they were free to watch the kids, which they were, and we were on our way.
The night before the seminar, Matt got a call from Dealer Fusion: he was being given a new territory to oversee with a $5,000/yr raise! This was another CLEAR SIGN.
I probably don't need to say that the seminar was just what we needed. We got to meet a regional public relations rep from AWAA who shared his adoption story and how God provided for that. We got to meet another couple with their baby who had just returned from China and hear how amazing that had been. Both of these families had biological children before adopting. We were impressed with the video we saw of the director of AWAA and his heart for orphans and adoption. We got the information on the cost breakdown and many available ways in which to cover the cost--cost seems to be the one issue for every adoptive couple. We also found out that we met the requirements for China adoption (this was before the China Center of Adoption Affairs added the "net worth" requirement). When we got home from the seminar, the information packet had arrived in the mail. We were so impressed by AWAA.
Now that we had an agency chosen, we decided to take two weeks to pray again before beginning to step forth. This is what we heard:
"Look at the new thing I am going to do. It is already happening. Don't you see it? I will make a road in the desert and rivers in dry land." (Isaiah 43:19)
"Children are a gift from the Lord, they are a reward from Him.... How happy is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates." (Psalm 127:3,5)
"How happy are those who fear [respect and revere] the Lord--all who follow his ways*! You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How happy you will be! How rich your life! Your wife will be like a frutiful vine flourishing within your home. And look at all those children! There they sit around your table as vigorous and healthy as young olive trees. That is the reward for those who fear Him." (Psalm 128:1-4)
And what are the ways* of the Lord?
"His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 1:5a)On Father's Day, 2005, we submitted our adoption application to America World!
1 Comments:
best wishes to you.
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