Our Adoption Story: Part 3 (The BEST part!)

I promise I'm not dragging this story out for the dramatic effects. HA! It truly is that long, with many details depicting how God made it very clear the time was NOW, THIS was the country, and THESE were the children we would pursue. 

So if you need caught up on part 1 and part 2 of our story to make this all flow, click here and here. 

We left off with Beau encouraging me to get ahold of "L". I was still being a hard-hearted snot and kindly told him off, because what was the point, when I knew his plan was to not start the adoption process until the end of 2014. Can't mess with a woman's heart when it comes to one of her biggest heart's desires! 

Well, I couldn't sleep laying there in bed that night after his prompting. (Or was it His prompting?) I did what I do best, stated up till 2:00 in the morning researching the site for the orphanage and this lady's Facebook page. I wanted to know every little detail I could before contacting anyone about anything. Honest to goodness, I used to want to be a detective- LOL, so I investigated the you know what out of those sites. All the while thinking, "Lord, WHAAAAT AM I DOING!?!?"

Eventually I came to the site that showed a few of the pictures of some of the kids staying at the orphanage or that were there during the day for the daycare they also offer. I clicked through picture after picture looking into the faces of adorable little African babes. Then I came to this picture of a couple of two year olds- a little boy and a little girl. The caption read "2 year old Little D (name changed for privacy) is the sweetest thing to walk this earth and his smile can bring only joy to your family. (His friend Asha is not for adoption) says hi also!" 

In that moment, I had the FLEETING thought (I kid you not), "God, is this our son?"

Then immediately freeeeeeeaked out on myself for thinking that. Why would I think that? Oh my word, Beau would freak out if he knew I just thought that. But again, why would I think that!? Then I remembered a time I heard, "You know when people POP into your mind at completely random times and you think what in the world!? Well, instead, just drop what you're doing and PRAY for them!!

I did just that. I just stopped and prayed for little D. I prayed for his day, knowing it was morning across the ocean, I prayed for his heart and to know Jesus, and I prayed for a forever family for him, his parents wherever they would be. 

Ok. Well after that crazy moment I decided that this site and lady seemed "legit". Haha!!! I also asked God to not let my heart get too invested with anything but to just follow through with what Beau  wanted me to do. 

So sitting there in the middle of the night, I emailed "L" through the site. I basically first apologized for the randomness of my message, and told her a little about myself and Beau and that her friend C told me to get ahold of her. I didn't tell her how many children we were interested in adopting some day, our timeline of starting the process, boys or girls or both, I didn't tell her the ages we would be interested in adopting- just that the country her orphanage was in, was one of two we had extensively researched in looking into when the time came. It was short and sweet and I pushed send while thinking I was a complete nut job, and hoping she didn't agree with me. ;) 

Side note: if we had started the process through an agency (like you're supposed to) we would have filled out the application blanks asking about our preferences like this:

* open to sibling groups? - yes! 

* Agess: any age up to 5 (because God was working on my heart for a baby, when we previously wanted 2+, also secretly wanting an older brother for a little sister) 

* Gender: any gender (preferably a boy and girl) 

(Also: * that they would know each other/be around one another) 

I woke up the next morning (Thursday) with a reply from "L".  Here's what she said copy/pasted, with a few details omitted for privacy: (my thoughts as I was reading this are in red & L in black)

"Not a completely random message, but a God inspired message.  Kendra we have some beautiful children for adoption.  The first course of action is to find an adoption agency there in Iowa that will work with us in "Africa".   My advice is to adopt 2 or 3 children at one time as the cost of traveling and your stay there all adds up (among other reasons) She didn't know we were absolutely wanting to adopt 2 children, for most- that would be a shock to adopt more than 1 at time. But two, was our desire.  
The children are all living together as a family, so for them, staying together would be a comfort although none of them are blood related. Prayer request of them "knowing each other"- answered.  
Next week I will be posting a few of the kids for adoption on this site.  Two kids we wanted to adopt two! that come to mind are "N", our Christmas newborn (born 11-22-13) YOU GUYS THAT WAS THE DAY we went to the hospital to visit our very good friends and their new daughter. REMEMBER? (click here in case you don't ;) ha!) The day GOD STARTED TRANSFORMING MY HEART walking out of that hospital after holding Kallie, and God stirring in me to consider wanting a baby- in whatever form that was....our sweet baby girl was born in Africa. The. Same. Day. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?,  she is just a doll and "Little D" who is 2 1/2, also a very sweet little guy.  
THIS IS THE LITTLE BOY THAT GOD GAVE ME THAT FLEETING THOUGHT the night before!!! Little D! In the picture!! The one I STOPPED AND PRAYED FOR, for his heart for Jesus, for his forever family, for him to be adopted. Housing while in country would be right next door at a nice inn.  I am going to Africa Feb 9th and will return with current pics and lots of new information.  So start now and find an agency there in Iowa. God Bless and keep me updated." 

- "L"

(Beau later mentioned, "Man, she just assumed the sale right there, didnt' she?" HAHA! The thoughts of a business major/man! ;) 

Ummmmm can you believe that!? My heart stopped. And I immediately knew and doubted at the same time, that this could be God being VERY intentional about telling us NOW. Not to mention, our very hearts desires if an agency had been reading our preferences. 

I DIDNT TELL BEAU. I was terrified. Because:

 1.) the night before I was stubborn and told him I wasn't going to get ahold if "L". (Bah. Foot in mouth.)  

2) I was nervous about telling him what I thought God was impressing on my heart and afraid he wouldn't agree or say, "Okay, sure. We can pursue that at the end of the year." 

3.) I was still blown away. In shock. Ya know. 

So I did what many a-woman might do. I blabbed to my friend Erin at lunch in the teachers lounge. The same time at lunch, Beau texted me and asked if I had indeed got ahold of "L"? 

Oh crap. Oh man. What do I do!? This could be the ultimate let down of my liiiiiiiife. 

I told him yes! Only to be so stubborn, I didn't even call and tell him, I just told him to sign into my account and read what "L" had replied with. I didn't tell him about my "fleeting thought" before emailing her about Little D. Ha! 

He read it and didn't say much. Shocker. 

Well I went through the rest of the school day, and late that night crawling into bed, Beau asked if he could have my laptop (laying on my side of the bed). I said "I don't know here it is." (Fully knowing he was going to do his own investigating and my heart just couldn't take it. I couldn't take him looking it all up: the countries stipulations for adoptive parents, the agency she recommended us looking into, and mostly- the picture of Little D). Well, my husband is a brilliant man and said, "I saw your laptop on the side of your bed. Hand it to me." (You guys, I'm a sinner. I've since asked for forgiveness for my stinky attitude.) I handed it over. 

Sure enough, he did exactly what I thought he was going to do. I literally, grabbed my Bible, turned away from him in bed and read Ester (just what I happened to be going through) and prayed and prayed and prayed. "Move in His heart if it's YOUR will Lord". 

He all of a sudden says, "HEY! This little boy has my eye lashes!" I finally turned over, peered over his shoulder and saw exactly who it was. A different (non labeled) picture of Little D. My heart lept. I said, "Beau, that's him. That's little D, who she was talking about in the email. That's the little boy who..." And I told him about my "fleeting thought" the night before with Little D. 

End of part 3. 

(Part 4 will be chalk full of the ways God moved in Beau's heart and how we became unified in the decision to move forward amongst our biggest fears)