In just a few days I will be speaking at our church for Orphan Sunday. Telling hundreds of people our family story in a very brief way and telling them that it is God's desire that we as his people care for the children of this entire world who do not have a family to call their own. I am overwhelmed by the sheer thought of the fact that God just might use me to help another family see the joy of adoption; that it could turn into several families in our church that want to get involved; or maybe even a handful of families in our community that decide that adoption is not something only "wealthy" people do. I have been praying that God puts his words into my brain and that He shines through what is said at church that day.
Two weeks from tomorrow we as a family will trek across the world to the land of the morning calm. We are flying to Korea to visit our children's birth country and foster families. To see the sights, hear the sounds and smell the very different, yet very normal smells of a country that Allen and I have come to love and yearn for. This is nothing short of God as I had no real desire to ever love any country other than America. Yet through many series of events the past year, I have learned that God has things in store for me, for our family that I never thought in a million years would be in our future. While I am not at all looking forward to our 13 hour flight to Korea, I can think of nothing better than visiting our children's foster families and taking a boatload of donations that have been sent to us from ALL over the USA to our adoption agency during our Thanksgiving week break. We feel it is so important to help our children know their birth culture and country and we are so beyond blessed that this opportunity has come up. For those of you wondering (as I know there are several!) we are not going to be bringing a baby home! There is no "new" adoption story for us- at least not right now there isn't. :)
A few weeks ago, I devoured a new book out called Kisses From Katie. I was originally drawn to this new book due to it's adoption story. A story of a 22 year old woman named Katie Davis who has adopted 14 girls in Uganda. However, while the adoption theme in this book was amazing and nothing short of God, the entire book had me in tears. It is a book that has made me realize that I need to seek God more- and I mean MORE as in every single second of every single day. The way that this 22 year old woman has lived her life since she was 18 years old; the way she listens to our God; the way that she is changing children's lives in Uganda... my heavens what the world could be like if we all loved on people the way God calls us to and the way she has consciously chosen to do so. Go- go and read this book...that is all I can say!
Adoption has changed my entire life. Through adoption, I have been given my two biggest treasures in life, I have made life long friends who have hearts that beat a lot like mine does, and I have found one more God driven purpose in my life and wow am I so excited to see where God takes us!
The BEST gifts God has ever, EVER given to me!
~Mandy~
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