Thankful......

Feeling so extremely blessed tonight thinking about all of the awesome people that God has placed in our path during this adoption journey.   It has been a most difficult journey for us but the spiritual growth that we have had as a result has been incredible.  We have truly seen God's hand in action.  We took a leap of faith and did not give up.   God has blessed us in ways that we would have never imagined.

People who do not know us personally but who are walking this same road have offered so much emotional support and prayer.  We have formed closer relationships with other local adoptive and/or adopting parents.  We have been blessed with donations from complete strangers.  Others who have adopted and know the need have reached out to help us.  One mom in the midst of an adoption herself offered a matching grant.  Another adoptive mom is offering her photography skills as a fundraiser to assist us and two other families.  Today someone I had only met personally one time blessed my girls with clothes and toys.   I have observed that people who have the least to give are the ones who give the most.  God will bless them immensely.  

We have been so blessed with our  homeschool community friends and other adoptive parents as they have become our main support system.  Some of these adoptive parents I have only met through Facebook adoption group but the mutual support will never be forgotten. Obviously I am not carrying this child in my body but Maya Grace has grown in my heart, mind, and soul for sixteen months now.  We started this journey in May, 2011 and we received her photo in February.  Thank you to those who see me and ask about her and how the adoption is proceeding.  It means so much to know that others care.  If you can only imagine having a child who is 22 months old and having him/her 3,000 miles away from you for eight months and actually do not know when you your child can come home then you can know our feelings.   I worry if she is being fed properly, if she is being kept clean, if she is receiving love, if someone is picking her up and hugging her when she is hurt, etc.

 It was on my heart to give a "THANK YOU" again for those of you who have offered congratulations, prayers, sent positive thoughts our way, those who have donated to us in any form, and for those who have listened to me and been there during our most difficult times.  I am an extremely emotional creature by nature.  I will never forget any of the acts of kindness that have been shown to us.  I pray that I can be spiritually mature and continue to have a forgiving spirit for those who have not been there for us and have not supported us on this journey.  Many have hurt me in ways that I can never forget but I want to forgive them.   When we are home and settled we will be paying forward and helping other families bring their children home.  We are ONE world.  Man may have set geographically boundaries but the human race is one.  There are 147 million orphans in the world.  I want each and every 147 million of those precious souls to have the love and nurture of a family.