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Tuesday, March 31, 2009

To our family and friends . . .

As you may or may not already know, we have just begun the process of adopting two children from Ethiopia – maybe siblings. We began thinking about adoption about three and a half years ago, at which point we listened to a message online about adoption. We spent a lot of time in prayer, but it seemed that God did not want that for us at that point in time. The desire, however, has never left our hearts.

Our desire to adopt began to intensify this past fall. We sat down and began to seriously discuss going the route of international adoption. We prayed apart and together, and independently came to the conclusion that we wanted to adopt from an African country. Again, more prayer, finding an adoption agency, research, prayer, all the while the desire building in our hearts for this path that God has for us. We sat down with both of our parents to seek their wisdom, as well as seeking advice from others who have adopted. Through much more prayer, we settled on the country of Ethiopia and are going through the American World Adoption Agency (www.awaa.org).

Since we know we can do nothing and are nothing apart from God, we sincerely need His wisdom. We need His grace to help us be patient during this whole process and to trust Him to bring in the necessary funds to be able to adopt. So, we ask that you pray along with us in this matter. We want to learn what He has for us in the process as well as the end result. We want to be willing to move forward and content to stand still!

Our words cannot adequately express how grateful we are - what a wonderful thing God is allowing us to do! Again, we ask for your prayers, and if you want to be updated on our adoption process, you can check back on here or look me (Sarah) up on Facebook.
“A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows is God in His holy habitation. God places the solitary in families and gives the desolate a home in which to dwell.” Psalms 68:5-6a

“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba, Father!'” Romans 8:15

1 comments:

Joe Fleener said...

Joe & Sarah,

Thank you for sharing this! What a blessing it will be to pray for your family in this.

I assume you are all still in Indiana. I pray the church there is doing well and you are continuing to know God's grace each and every day.

Blessings in Christ,

Joe, Mandy, Mekaela, Gavin, & Tabitha Fleener