One Step

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."

That's what the ring I got to symbolize this adoption says. I know that I posted about it before ... but this quote has really gotten me through the past week or so. You see that first step for us is faith. When we first decided to go the private adoption route we knew that it wasn't going to be easy. We knew that our faith was going to be tested in a new way ... and we wanted to be ready for that. We wanted to take a giant leap with that first step in knowing and believing that GOD had this whole journey already taken care of. I've prayed it seems almost every single second of each day that my faith wouldn't waiver. I just don't want to go back to the same person I was when we lost Hope. In fact I refuse to do that ... so even though some of the hoops we've had to go through seem more like brick walls than an open hoop ... we continue to jump and hold onto God the whole way through.

Adoption fees are so hard to understand sometimes. The insane cost of trying to rescue an orphan is just hard to wrap your brain around sometimes. But as much as I wish the cost wasn't so great ... I'm kind of glad for it. I don't think that we would rely nearly (if at all) as much on God if adopting was only as little as $1,000. Because we don't have a nice little money tree growing in our backyard, we've had to one million percent rely on God for EVERYTHING. And I am so thankful to be given the heart for adoption because I have never felt closer to my Father in all my life.

The last day of school was today. *jumping up and down!* I am getting ready to take on another adventure of teaching pre-k this summer. Oh, how I would love to enjoy my summer off like all my other teacher buddies ... but I am so so so so thankful for the opportunity to have this job. I kind of have mixed emotions about it because the reason why I applied for it again was so that we could save up more money for our adoption. However, we have realized that we have to use that money for other reasons at the moment. And even though it does make me sad knowing we can't be that much closer to bringing home our baby ... I am so thankful that the Lord provides for our every need. He is providing for a different need other than our adoption right now, and so we will continue to walk in faith through our adoption journey knowing and trusting HE's got it all taken care of.

I talked to Janna at our agency this week. We've been playing phone tag for the last 2 weeks so it was nice to actually get to talk to her. I am sending in our profile book hopefully tomorrow. She told me that there are two women who are currently pregnant with bi-racial babies, both wanting a mixed couple to adopt their baby ... and guess what?!? Alya and I are the ONLY mixed couple that the agency has. Ha. One of them is due in October and is defiantly having a boy and the other one is due in Dec./Jan. and isn't sure what she is having yet. So just keep us lifted up in your prayers. We still have SO much fundraising to do ... but I am NOT stressing about it. I'm just praying for OPEN windows and a peaceful heart to know what to do.

We didn't end up winning the $5,000 from this amazing blog. However, we did get $147. And we also got a check in the mail yesterday for another $100. :0) So our little fundraiser thermometer is rising towards our goal. I can't wait for that day.

Believer in Miracles,