Keeping it in Perspective

Do you remember Tori?  The precious little one that we were praying would find a family?  The little one who is sitting day after lonely day in an adult mental institute?  The little one who has a family who has had EVERY SINGLE MOUNTAIN moved and is within WEEKS of getting over there to see her, hold her and bring her home?  Our mighty God moved an entire mountain so that her family could get her - not in months but literally in weeks.  Not only Tori.  Nope.  They are also getting another sweet child.

Anastasiya

Sisters.  Soon to be given new names, parents, siblings, home, HOPE. 

This is for whom we pray. 

     Dear Friends,  The latest news on the vote is that the hearing for the bill concerning adoptions is set for the week of December 14-17.  If the bill stands as written, adoptions would stop unless the country involved has a bilateral agreement with Aaron's former country. 

The United States does not have a bilateral agreement.  Thus, all US adoptions would stop. 

     The entire situation is complicated and messy.  A bilateral agreement is a good thing, and in the long run would streamline the adoption process - making it easier and much less stressful.  What we went through with Aaron would not happen if an agreement was in place. 

     BUT - the way the bill is written - ADOPTIONS WOULD STOP until the agreement is worked out.  This could take months or years to hash out. 

     The reality in the short term is that right now... there are fragile children who will die if left in their cribs for months or years.  Just a few weeks ago a Reece's Rainbow family brought back, out of an institute, a seven year old precious little girl who weighed 16 lbs.  You read that correctly.  SIXTEEN POUNDS.  She came home only a few weeks ago.  She had been drugged in her crib to keep her calm.  The doctors on our side of the ocean wept when they saw her.   She didn't have months or years. 

     Right now there are families who are IN COUNTRY, with their children, waiting for their court dates, holding their breath and hoping that they receive their court documents BEFORE this vote takes place.  Many of those in country right now will make the cut off.  They will be whisking their children out before the gavel lands.  Praise God.  Every single time I hear that a family has their court documents in hand, I start to weep at my computer.  One more life saved.  One more snatched out of darkness. 

     But the reality is that there are too many families on the edge of that vote.  Some will have court on THE VERY WEEK of that vote.  Some will only arrive that week, some will be in the middle of their 10 day waiting period.  Some will be coming in afterwards.  Dear Tori and Anastasiya's family will be there just as the vote is taking place. 

      Did you read that?  Do you understand church why we have to pray?  We screamed and hollered and raised funds and God moved in the hearts of the Burmans to go get Tori and He moved in their hearts AGAIN to get Anastasiya and THEN He moved the mountain to get their paperwork done in absolute record time because Tori does not have much time BUT THE BIGGEST MOUNTAIN stands in their way.  A bill that would stop their adoption.

     But Our God is bigger than that mountain, and these are His kids.  He has stirred in so many hearts in the last number of years to rescue these forgotten ones and it wasn't so that they would become lost again.  He has a purpose and a plan set in motion.  What takes place across our world in regards to the 'least of these' is heart breaking.  In our country they are aborted - discarded in the garbage.  In other countries they are abandoned - discarded into orphanages.  The church needs to rise up and take a stand.  Both in our country and in the rest of the world.  We start by getting on our knees and praying for these families who are sacrificing so much to get these children out in time.  We pray that God will still the storm raging in their hearts.  We pray that they will be covered - drenched in His peace as they cross the waters.

     We pray for the men who will be voting for the bill.  We pray that God would move in their hearts.  We pray that these men would have the grace to consider the 'least of these' in their country - both the special needs and the hard to place older children - that they would spare their lives and futures by placing, into the bill, wording that allows adoptions to continue as they work towards a better system for all.  We pray that those men who have it in their hearts to end adoptions altogether - regardless of wording or agreements - we pray their attempts would be halted.  We pray that their desires would be thwarted and that the voice of those guided by the Holy Spirit would be heard.  Pray Church. 

     The little ones below ALL HAVE FAMILIES WHO WANT THEM.  These are the ones for whom you pray.  These are the children who are being affected RIGHT now.  Their families are on their knees. Please join them. 

Church - Pray!

There are so many more.