Another family adopting through our agency was just in Ethiopia to pick up a boy from the same orphanage where our children are, and they sent us new pictures of our little boy and girl laying next to each other. It's so fun to see them!!
They look like they're the same size as each other, which was good to know. We thought she was bigger. The little girl has a lot of hair and the little boy likes to furrow his eyebrows. The family that visited them said they're sooooo sweet. They also said they're at the best orphanage they've seen (and they've seen a lot). Praise the Lord that they seem to be getting good care!
December 30, 2009
December 27, 2009
Wonderful Surprise
We found a surprise package on our doorstep yesterday from Celebrate Children International, our adoption agency. Of course, any package or email from CCI creates a lot of excitement in our home! This was one particularly wonderful. They mailed us two videos of our children!! It was absolutely amazing to watch them moving around and hear their little cries. We got to see all the babies from the orphanage gathered together for a Christmas party and see the nannies that take care of them.
The little girl looks even smaller than we had thought, and we heard some information about her health during her visit to the doctor's office. Even more precious to me was that God answered our prayers by letting us overhear the nanny telling our adoption agent what her full name is! We've only known a shortened version of it until now. God is so good and kind. We also overheard that her paperwork might be ready by now so that their cases can be submitted for a court date -- Lord, may it be so!
I can hardly get their little faces out of my mind. The pictures we received of them look adorable, and in the videos they look a little more like orphans. Oh how we long to hold them and take care of them and tell them about Jesus!
"He delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence He redeems their life, and precious is their blood in His sight." Psalm 72:12-14
A second letter in the mail was our approval paperwork from the US government for us to bring them home. We thought this would be approved about two weeks from now...and we love it when God moves things along faster than we were expecting!
The little girl looks even smaller than we had thought, and we heard some information about her health during her visit to the doctor's office. Even more precious to me was that God answered our prayers by letting us overhear the nanny telling our adoption agent what her full name is! We've only known a shortened version of it until now. God is so good and kind. We also overheard that her paperwork might be ready by now so that their cases can be submitted for a court date -- Lord, may it be so!
I can hardly get their little faces out of my mind. The pictures we received of them look adorable, and in the videos they look a little more like orphans. Oh how we long to hold them and take care of them and tell them about Jesus!
"He delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence He redeems their life, and precious is their blood in His sight." Psalm 72:12-14
A second letter in the mail was our approval paperwork from the US government for us to bring them home. We thought this would be approved about two weeks from now...and we love it when God moves things along faster than we were expecting!
December 24, 2009
Sweet Christmas Present
We're really looking forward to the day when there will be little feet inside these shoes...
December 17, 2009
A Matching Grant!!
God is so good.
We got a call from Lifesong for Orphans, and they (along with Louisville Orphan Care Initiative) have graciously approved us for a $4000 matching grant to help bring our son and daughter home. If we can raise $4000 by February 9, they will match every dollar. This is such an answer to prayer for us!
If you'd like to contribute, you can mail a tax-deductible gift to:
LifeSong for Orphans
Attn: Philpot Adoption
PO Box 40/202 N Ford Road
Gridley, IL 61744
Checks would need to be made out to LifeSong for Orphans, and you'd write "Philpot #1073 adoption" in the memo section.
Our God is a faithful provider!!
We got a call from Lifesong for Orphans, and they (along with Louisville Orphan Care Initiative) have graciously approved us for a $4000 matching grant to help bring our son and daughter home. If we can raise $4000 by February 9, they will match every dollar. This is such an answer to prayer for us!
If you'd like to contribute, you can mail a tax-deductible gift to:
LifeSong for Orphans
Attn: Philpot Adoption
PO Box 40/202 N Ford Road
Gridley, IL 61744
Checks would need to be made out to LifeSong for Orphans, and you'd write "Philpot #1073 adoption" in the memo section.
Our God is a faithful provider!!
December 11, 2009
Praise the Lord!
We'd been praying that we would hear from our adoption agency with the children's blood work results before Sue left Ethiopia. We knew her plane was scheduled to leave today or tomorrow, so we really hoped to get an email from her today. And the Lord answered our prayers!
This afternoon we received an official referral for the newborn baby boy and girl whose pictures we were emailed less than a week ago. Both of them had successful medical reports, so we are able to turn in paperwork to apply to be their mommy and daddy. We are so grateful to the Lord for His goodness to us.
Here's some of what happens next, as far as we understand:
1. We mail in forms and payment to our adoption agency to accept the referrals for these two children.
2. Our paperwork, which is already in Ethiopia and has been translated, is submitted for an Ethiopian court date. We found out that the childrens' paperwork isn't ready yet, and we'll have to wait so that their paperwork can be submitted with ours. We don't know what's missing or how long it will take. But once their paperwork is ready and we submit for a court date, it will be about 4 weeks until one is assigned to us.
3. The court date itself will probably be about 4 weeks later. On court day, an Ethiopian judge looks at our paperwork and decides whether to approve us legally as these babies' parents. Many things could happen to create problems or delays here, in which case a second court date would have to be scheduled for about 4 weeks later.
4. When we pass court, we will be able to travel to pick up the kids about 6 weeks later.
We're praying that we might be able to go get them as soon as April, Lord willing. We know many people have unexpected bumps in the road, and we're praying the Lord would prevent that from happening for us. He has been so good and we're so thankful!!
This afternoon we received an official referral for the newborn baby boy and girl whose pictures we were emailed less than a week ago. Both of them had successful medical reports, so we are able to turn in paperwork to apply to be their mommy and daddy. We are so grateful to the Lord for His goodness to us.
Here's some of what happens next, as far as we understand:
1. We mail in forms and payment to our adoption agency to accept the referrals for these two children.
2. Our paperwork, which is already in Ethiopia and has been translated, is submitted for an Ethiopian court date. We found out that the childrens' paperwork isn't ready yet, and we'll have to wait so that their paperwork can be submitted with ours. We don't know what's missing or how long it will take. But once their paperwork is ready and we submit for a court date, it will be about 4 weeks until one is assigned to us.
3. The court date itself will probably be about 4 weeks later. On court day, an Ethiopian judge looks at our paperwork and decides whether to approve us legally as these babies' parents. Many things could happen to create problems or delays here, in which case a second court date would have to be scheduled for about 4 weeks later.
4. When we pass court, we will be able to travel to pick up the kids about 6 weeks later.
We're praying that we might be able to go get them as soon as April, Lord willing. We know many people have unexpected bumps in the road, and we're praying the Lord would prevent that from happening for us. He has been so good and we're so thankful!!
December 10, 2009
Born in a Manger
The two little newborns that we hope the Lord has entrusted to us were both abandoned by their birth parents. We don't know exactly what that means. Maybe we'll find out over time. We hope their birth moms left them at the door of the orphanage so they could get care that these desperate women knew they couldn't provide. But even if they didn't, we know God says in His word, "Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me. " (Isaiah 49:15-16)
A dear friend sent me an email today that just said "The best gift was found in a manger." I know she had our kids in mind. What a vivid picture! Praise the Lord for the greater understanding He is giving us through abandoned orphans about the majesty and humility of Christ, our Savior.
A dear friend sent me an email today that just said "The best gift was found in a manger." I know she had our kids in mind. What a vivid picture! Praise the Lord for the greater understanding He is giving us through abandoned orphans about the majesty and humility of Christ, our Savior.
December 9, 2009
December 8, 2009
God is Working on Our Behalf
We and many dear family and friends have been praying and God has been answering!! His goodness to us never ceases to humble and amaze me.
We've decided to pray together each night for these two children we hope the Lord has given us. Our most recent request to the Lord is that the blood work for both children will not take several weeks, and that it will come back completely clear of disease. We've asked God to work on our behalf through those who are in Ethiopia to move things forward.
Then today I got an unexpected email from Sue, who is in Ethiopia until at least Friday or Saturday. Remember, she just emailed me two days ago saying that the blood work would take several weeks. Today's email said "I took your 2 babies to the MD today...blood work will be back in a few days." How great is our God?? Sue herself took them (And did you notice she called them our babies? May it be true!). In just a few days we will know whether we are being offered these precious little ones as our own.
Isaiah 26:8 Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your laws, we wait for You; Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.
We've decided to pray together each night for these two children we hope the Lord has given us. Our most recent request to the Lord is that the blood work for both children will not take several weeks, and that it will come back completely clear of disease. We've asked God to work on our behalf through those who are in Ethiopia to move things forward.
Then today I got an unexpected email from Sue, who is in Ethiopia until at least Friday or Saturday. Remember, she just emailed me two days ago saying that the blood work would take several weeks. Today's email said "I took your 2 babies to the MD today...blood work will be back in a few days." How great is our God?? Sue herself took them (And did you notice she called them our babies? May it be true!). In just a few days we will know whether we are being offered these precious little ones as our own.
Isaiah 26:8 Yes, Lord, walking in the way of Your laws, we wait for You; Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.
December 6, 2009
Two Possible Children
Saturday morning I had an email in my inbox from Sue, the director of our adoption agency. She's in Ethiopia right now, and we've been praying that she would find children for us while she was there. God seems to have answered our prayers!
Yesterday's email had 24 pictures of an adorable baby boy, a newborn between 4-7 days old. We rejoiced all day long and prayed that God would bring us a second child while Sue is in Ethiopia so that this little guy won't have to wait for us to go get him. The Ethiopian government prefers for us to move everything along for both kids at the same time since we've been approved to adopt two.
Then this morning we had another email in my inbox with 20 pictures of a precious baby girl. She is somewhere around 3 weeks old and makes our hearts melt already. We can't share their names or pictures on the blog, but feel free to email us if we haven't already sent you their pictures and you'd like more details!
We're waiting for both of them to get a medical check and have blood work done before we can sign paperwork saying that we will adopt them. If their blood work comes back with any major problems, we would not be able to be their mommy and daddy. Please pray that their blood work will come back quickly and clear of disease. Sue told us it may take several weeks, but we're hoping that God will move it along faster than that.
Yesterday's email had 24 pictures of an adorable baby boy, a newborn between 4-7 days old. We rejoiced all day long and prayed that God would bring us a second child while Sue is in Ethiopia so that this little guy won't have to wait for us to go get him. The Ethiopian government prefers for us to move everything along for both kids at the same time since we've been approved to adopt two.
Then this morning we had another email in my inbox with 20 pictures of a precious baby girl. She is somewhere around 3 weeks old and makes our hearts melt already. We can't share their names or pictures on the blog, but feel free to email us if we haven't already sent you their pictures and you'd like more details!
We're waiting for both of them to get a medical check and have blood work done before we can sign paperwork saying that we will adopt them. If their blood work comes back with any major problems, we would not be able to be their mommy and daddy. Please pray that their blood work will come back quickly and clear of disease. Sue told us it may take several weeks, but we're hoping that God will move it along faster than that.
December 4, 2009
Time to Think
It's been a little more than five weeks since our paperwork was mailed off, and we've been waiting since then for a referral -- details about our precious children. God has been gracious to fill the time with joy, and there's been plenty of time to think too. I have to be careful that my thoughts don't turn to worry or fear. It's easy to start to wonder just how hard this journey will be for us and for our children.
We were talking last night about what the Bible has to say about adoption. It seems unfortunate at first glance that there isn't an example there of a family bringing a child in as their own and raising him or her as a son or daughter. But of course, we know that this is exactly what God has done in taking us into His family. An absolutely amazing passage in Romans 8:15-17 says "For you did not receive the Spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him."
How incredible that God has taken Gentiles like us, who were not originally a part of His chosen people Israel, and welcomed us into His family. Not only that, but He has made us heirs to His inheritance, fellow heirs with Jesus! Romans 11 goes on to talk about how the people of God are like natural branches growing out of an olive tree, with the nourishing root being God Himself. And God has grafted in Gentiles like us among the natural branches. "You, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree." (Romans 11:17)
It must have been difficult for some of the Jews to embrace the Gentiles as brothers. And we expect that it might be difficult for some to accept our children as our own. But God is the One who chose both the Jews and the Gentiles as His people, just as He is the One to give both the gift of biological and adopted children. Both are true children. I'm a Gentile. But I hardly think of myself in those terms. I don't question my status as God's child just because I was not born Jewish. And we shouldn't question our adopted children as our own true children just because they did not come from my womb.
Hubby also pointed out that when Paul talks about God adopting us in Romans and other places, he is using the word adoption with the assumption that his readers knows what he is talking about. That comforted me. It seems to indicate that adoption was a familiar thing to the people in Jesus's day, and that it was a positive thing -- especially since they would relate it to our heavenly Father adopting us.
Here's a closing confession -- I like life to be comfortable. By nature I'm self focused like that. But I want to be Savior focused instead. And if it takes some discomfort now and then to shift my focus from myself to Christ, it's well worth it.
We were talking last night about what the Bible has to say about adoption. It seems unfortunate at first glance that there isn't an example there of a family bringing a child in as their own and raising him or her as a son or daughter. But of course, we know that this is exactly what God has done in taking us into His family. An absolutely amazing passage in Romans 8:15-17 says "For you did not receive the Spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him."
How incredible that God has taken Gentiles like us, who were not originally a part of His chosen people Israel, and welcomed us into His family. Not only that, but He has made us heirs to His inheritance, fellow heirs with Jesus! Romans 11 goes on to talk about how the people of God are like natural branches growing out of an olive tree, with the nourishing root being God Himself. And God has grafted in Gentiles like us among the natural branches. "You, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree." (Romans 11:17)
It must have been difficult for some of the Jews to embrace the Gentiles as brothers. And we expect that it might be difficult for some to accept our children as our own. But God is the One who chose both the Jews and the Gentiles as His people, just as He is the One to give both the gift of biological and adopted children. Both are true children. I'm a Gentile. But I hardly think of myself in those terms. I don't question my status as God's child just because I was not born Jewish. And we shouldn't question our adopted children as our own true children just because they did not come from my womb.
Hubby also pointed out that when Paul talks about God adopting us in Romans and other places, he is using the word adoption with the assumption that his readers knows what he is talking about. That comforted me. It seems to indicate that adoption was a familiar thing to the people in Jesus's day, and that it was a positive thing -- especially since they would relate it to our heavenly Father adopting us.
Here's a closing confession -- I like life to be comfortable. By nature I'm self focused like that. But I want to be Savior focused instead. And if it takes some discomfort now and then to shift my focus from myself to Christ, it's well worth it.
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