Why are we doing this?

Ok so couldn't do a post without a pic....so here is Jonathan- being completely cute!
Here he is playing around.......
And although he doesn't know it yet....this is his last night in a crib. Tomorrow we buy a mattress for him to sleep on the bunk bed with his brothers. The crib will be taken apart and put in the girls' room for Naomi. Really he doesn't need to be in a crib. Only for mommy's sake he was there because you know have to keep them young for as long as I can. Hey, I am having a hard time because in a few months my oldest turns- 10! Too old.

So Why are we doing another adoption? Easy answer....because we feel called to take in another child. We loved our experience with All God's Children International. We love when the staff offer to pray with us. We love the fact that they stop and answer questions for us all the time- even when they are really busy. We love our social workers we have had, and of course we love Almaz (the director of Hannah's Hope orphanage/transitional home in Ethiopia run by AGCI).

We love the country of Ethiopia! It broke our hearts, and opened our eyes in ways we can not explain. It helped us to see GOD in a way that also is indescribable. Ethiopia is in our heart and on our minds. And this is not the last of us Ethiopia will ever see- we feel called to help in various ways in the future with as much as we are Blessed with.

Because we do not want our children to ever think this house is full. I mean that our job is never over....no matter how many children we are Blessed with. God gives, in order to Bless. We want our children to see that- feel it- know it- live it. It does us no good to have love in our hearts, and go to church if we do not live our faith. This is one way we do that. Knowing that although our lives are not easy.....that is not ours to decide- only God can give us strength to do what we do. Believe me when there are times I doubt that, but I do know deep in my heart it is true!

Because we feel called to live what we preach. You know it is easy to preach about orphans, poor, needy, widows, but to live it with all your heart- is HARD. So we are trying- we are not perfect nor should we be put on a pedestal- JUST a family that has been inspired by God to do HIS WILL. Hey, we are a walking billboard for love across borders of color, of status quo, of family size, of testimonies that reach many people, of homeschooling, of what a family should be, and so much more! We love getting the opportunity all the time to share parts of our stories with so many- the clerks at the store, at our church, on the streets, at our camp, and anywhere else we are privileged to go.

Why would we want a special needs child- my thoughts are every child has special needs. Just because a lot of people think we are crazy for wanting to bring on the doctors' visits, bills that go with that, and loads of heartache and time......yep it won't be easy. I will probably be asking for loads of prayer, I will probably have many many many moments of what were we thinking? In the end.....we will have a child that has been given a chance to thrive, a chance to live, a chance to grow to however old to learn about God, to see HIM in others, and to have a relationship with the ultimate HEALER!

Yep, we are certified crazy- I agree! Crazy in Love with God and the Family He has given us!!!! Crazy in love with our new little one- Naomi, crazy in love with all of our angels- Abigail, Andrew, Joshua, Matthew, Sarah, Elizabeth, & Jonathan! Crazy in Love with the fact that God is pushing us in sometimes uncomfortable places. To borrow a phrase from a fellow blogger- THIS LIFE IS NOT MY OWN! That is what we want to share and spread to others- to catch the vision of God Alive in our World in a personal up close in your face way!

That is why we do this...........