One year - Live the adventure God gives you

One year ago today I had a conversation with a social worker at an adoption placing agency and verbally committed to adorable little brown eyed baby from Latin America. 
About a week prior, I had come to the heartbreak realization that as much as my heart wanted to believe that laws would change in R, the reality was that the law was the law.  Almost immediately after coming to peace with that realization, I also decided (after A LOT of prayer and thinking and more prayer) that I would switch countries in the adoption process.

One year ago, yesterday, another adoptive Mama, who had just arrived home with her daughter from the same Latin American country, wrote a blog post on a little girl who desperately needed a Mama.  I read that post almost immediately after I had made the decision to move forward with adopting from a new country and I knew INSTANTLY that I needed to bring this little girl home.  Her 'alias' was/is 'Seraphina'.  I looked her up on RR and there was not picture (as stated in the blog post that her picture could  not be shared publicly) but the information about her drew me in.  I messaged this other Mama and she had a picture which she quickly shared and I immediately fell in love with that smile. 


The adoption process starts with the agency.  Those are the people who have a waiting child's file and who can share information, approve someone for adoption and then help them along with the process.  Every waiting child from Latin America is not with the same agency (and Reece's Rainbow is not an agency, they provide grant funding and LOTS of support, which is super helpful as well, but it is the agency who approves an individual and so the process begins.  I made that first contact, one year ago today and sent in my application to be approved to begin working with the agency to adopt 'Seraphina'....one year ago today.  It seems so fitting that just a few days ago, Josie's referral paperwork arrived at my door.  That just a few days ago, I received that wonderful phone call from the agency stating that the referral had been received and was being mailed out to me right then.  One year later. 

It certainly has been a long year.  (and an even longer year prior too) but I know this journey will be more then worth it in the end.  I know I will be blessed to be able to call Josie my daughter (even if some days are tough!) and will LOVE to hear her call me Mama!

I think it is also pretty fitting that the series the youth at church have been studying (The Me I Want to Be, becoming God's best version of you) was about 'Transforming My Experience' tonight.  (side note - Even though we've been going through this study with the youth, it's a pretty great one and I highly recommend it for adults, too!) There were a couple of quotes that jumped out for me tonight.  We were talking about the mountains that we have in our faith.  Those struggles or adventures that God leads us through. 
'God has a Mountain with your name on it.'  Our faith is not suppose to be 'easy', it's more then just a walk in the park.  (Not that believing is hard, but truly following should put us out of our comfort zone a little).
"Your Mountain combines the stuff that your best at, with the stuff that you care about." 

I am fairly certain that I am in the middle of a Mountain right now.  I wonder if adoption for every person is in  a way, their 'mountain'.  So many people are such amazing advocates, following true to God's command to "look after the orphans (and widows) in their distress." 

I certainly can attest that this past year has felt like nothing short of climbing a mountain (not that I've ever really climbed one!).  I knew I was ready to move forward to bring my girl home and that I would do whatever it takes to make that happen.  Including climbing whatever mountain was put in front of me. 

It's a little hard to believe that after such a long climb, the top is so very near.  And I will continue to keep climbing, filling out every last form, renewing and updating paperwork to travel, raising the last bit of money, putting together care packages and photo books, spending weeks in a foreign country...all to be able to bring my girl home. 

And begin the rest of our adventure together....