"If she doesn't get a mom and dad, she's going to die"

That's what the message said. Plain and simple...and impossible to ignore.

I thought I'd go back a few months and clue you in to what triggered the sudden action toward adoption. This wasn't what planted the seed...that's for another day...but what "pulled the trigger." (I must be hangin with the hubs way too much...what's with the hunting lingo?!?)

Our dear friends, the Kolanowski's, were in China picking up their two special needs children when we received the above message along with a picture. They didn't send it to us privately, but both Chris and I felt that God placed that little girl right on our doorstep. We immediately (and separately, I might add) sent messages back to Kenney and Laura asking what we could do to start the process immediately. The little girl has a heart condition and only has 70% oxygenation levels. While I don't fully understand all the implications, I know it's serious, and she needs a family who are able to get her the medical care she needs. I'm also very aware that God has known her since before her birth. He shaped her and formed her in His image, and none of these circumstances are shocking or too difficult for Him.

We immediately connected with the agency Kenney and Laura were using, mainly to expedite the process as much as possible. We found out that in spite of her urgent medical needs, her file was not available for adoption. This was both surprising and sad to us as we just sat and stared at her picture...praying for the floodgates to open for us to bring this little one home.

We began climbing the arduous mountain of paperwork and government requirements regardless...so we'd be ready as soon as her file became available. We'll skip the daily frustrations and complications we've experienced since the beginning of March, but there've been many. The most notable would include complications and delays with all the kids' physicals (yes, all our own healthy children had to be cleared medically before we could adopt other children who need urgent medical care and aren't getting it), my own physical situation as I shredded my ankle playing basketball with some family and friends on March 4th and was laid up for 12 weeks, and the discouraging news in April from our agent that it was basically a glorified "needle in a haystack" situation...very unlikely that we'd be able to get matched to our little girl.

And that's where we were left...until that wonderful phone call yesterday.

We've already had a pediatric cardiologist examine the file and give us a plan of action...so now we wait on the Chinese government to approve it.

God is faithful, and we are simply doing our best to follow His direction. The path is rocky and sometimes it's hard to stand...but every time I start to stumble...every time I reach up...my all-powerful Father grabs my hand and lifts me to solid ground.