Overwhelmed

This week has been incredibly overwhelming...in so many different ways.
We have been overwhelmed with how quickly things have been happening.  We will attend an informational meeting next month and then we plan submit our formal application with Bethany Christian Services.  We originally thought we would not be able to submit this application until August 2015.  Our timeline suddenly moved up by 7 months.  I told a friend recently that I was not mentally prepared for this timeline to shift so drastically.  So it has been overwhelming yet incredibly exciting for our timeline to change this way.
We have been overwhelmed with the many people who have already stepped up to support us.  We have mailed envelopes to five different states.  A handful of our envelopes have already been returned moving us toward our first goal.  We have also had people share in conversation, prayer, and ideas.  We are so excited to watch our village grow!
And finally today, I was overwhelmed by Christmas.  I was out after work picking up a few things for my husband.  I almost began crying in Walmart surrounded by hurried Christmas shoppers looking for the best deals.  Christmas has been different this year.  I feel as though I've already received such an amazing gift with the hope of our adoption moving forward.  I was suddenly overwhelmed with the thought of celebrating Christmas with our children...sharing the story of our Savior's birth, Christmas morning excitement, sharing in gifts, and spending time with family as a family.
As we prepare to celebrate a child in a manger, part of my heart is with two children on the other side of the world.

Envelopes on my dining room floor

We've been approved!  Our preliminary application for Ethiopia was approved and we are beyond excited.  Some pieces of this process seem incredibly overwhelming but in the past I have found that God delights in doing the impossible.

Because of this there are 150 envelopes on our dining room floor.

Some of you are wondering what this could possibly have to do with adoption, Ethiopia, or bringing our children home.  So allow me to explain.  Each of the envelopes has a number for 1-150.  We are asking you to partner with us by choosing an envelope.  You then place the corresponding amount of money in the envelope.  For example envelope 7=$7.  You can get an envelope by contacting me or Tyler, commenting here on the blog, or leaving a comment on facebook.

If all of the envelopes are returned it would cover all of our agency expenses and one third of our total fees.  So again we invite you to be a part of our village.  Help us take the next step in bringing our children home.

Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names.  They are easier to ignore before you see their faces.  It is easier to pretend they are not real before you hold them in your arms.  But once you do, everything changes. -David Platt

Now what?

I have been sitting here for at least 30 minutes trying to decide what exactly to write here.  In the end I've decided to just be open and honest.

Yesterday afternoon after sharing coffee with a dear friend, I decided to stop at Bethany Christian Services local office.  Tyler and I have been pretty sure we want to use Bethany for our adoption, however I had a few things I needed clarified first.  What better way to do that than just stop in, right? (This is one of the things I love about Bethany having an office right here in Knoxville!)
I came into the office, waited a few minutes and then was able to sit down with the international adoption specialist.  She was warm and friendly and ready to answer my questions.

So here is what I learned:
1. We can start most of the process and paperwork now!  Woohoo...this means less time between right now and when our children will be here with us!
2. We need to fundraise immediately (more details coming soon on our first major plan)
3.  We may need to make some changes to our plan.

In reference to number 3 - God laid Ethiopia on our hearts a while ago.  It has sort of been the plan since Tyler and I first confirmed that this was the path we would go.  We had also felt that we did not want children any older than 7 solely because so much can happen developmentally before that point.  However, due to referrals coming out of Ethiopia, Bethany is not accepting new families to adopt from Ethiopia unless they are willing to adopt over the age of 7.
This initial statement rocked my world.  Now what?  What about this plan we had?  So our options are to choose a different country or extend our age range.  So I'm asking you to pray.  Let it be abundantly clear what our path should be.  Also pray as we prepare to take our next steps - formal application, homestudy, and fundraising!  We are excited about this journey and excited to have you continue to partner with us.

Spirit lead me where your trust is without borders...