The Aberle's have a book! And as of two weeks ago, we are APPROVED! One of the last things we had to do to become "official" is make a book. The book has a page devoted to how Jo and I met, our wedding, an individual page to share about each family member, a page devoted to what we like to do as a family, one for holidays, one about extended family, vacations, church family, school, activities, and the like. As I explained in one of the earliest posts, we can get a baby one of two ways: One way is by being paired up with an abandoned baby (and basically finding out hours before we drive to the hospital). The other is through being chosen by a birth mother. The latter is what the book is for. Birth mothers who want to choose the family for their baby look through numerous books to select a match. Afterwards, the birth mother gets to keep the book of the family she chooses. Sometimes a mother may look at the book and want to meet you in person. Future picture and letter exchanges are also common, most often on a yearly basis. We had a fun time creating our book together. Some nights B would get out of bed to work on a few pages with me, and all three boys loved seeing what their pages were all about. If you come over, they will be delighted to show you, as they have been doing for each of our guests. It's so neat to think that a year from now, our story may be different, filled with an adoption story and an additional family member. We are praying for that day and enjoying this time of stillness. We no longer have any paperwork to do. Now is just a time of waiting. We are enjoying the summer and waiting for what God has next. He is writing the story and designing each and every page.
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Many of you know that in early June we had our last big meeting and finalized our adoption papers as well as paid the first half of the adoption fee. When our social worker left she said, "You may not hear from me in a while! If you want to know anything, like if anyone has looked at your family book, I can let you know!" I have to admit, I was psyched. I was so excited to be done with paperwork and placed in the waiting phase. Plus, I am really starting to want another baby (no surprise there). Then this past Wednesday we got an email. This email explained that we were not approved because some of the paperwork we did early in the process had lapsed and needed updating. I have to admit this hiccup was a little disappointing. I thought we had been good to go for a while and honestly after any amount of paperwork, who wants to go back and do more? I had the three forms redone by Friday, so God willing we will be fully approved soon.
I felt the need to include this update because it reminded Josiah and me that adoption isn't easy. Just when you think you have it all organized, you realize you don't. Fighting for the child is an active battle and discouragement and lack of patience come right to the surface. After describing the process, some have asked me if the whole thing feels worth it. Yes. I know all of this work, effort, and vulnerability is only to help one child. In our world, one filled with orphans, this seems like hardly a drop in the bucket. But I do have faith that it is really a lot more than that. The ripple effects of how this could affect our family, the child's birth family, the child's future, and who they affect for the better is truly endless. Last Sunday instead of a sermon, my church had thirty teens and adults who just went on a missions trip to Mississippi share about their experiences. Every year, my church sends whoever is willing for two weeks. They work in the Sawmill Quarter which is an extremely poor section in Canton, about thirty miles away from Jackson. This trip has been going on for about twenty years and each year they run a camp for the neighborhood kids and do construction projects for those in the community in need. The Sawmill Quarters are considered untouchable. No one from the surrounding areas ventures in. The area has high crime rates and is filled with poverty, violence, and children in need. As they were sharing, they talked a lot about how incredible the consistency of our church groups has been for this community. They expect our church to show up, they remember the people, they stay in contact during the year, and they feel loved. Now that this trip has been happening for several years, change is becoming very evident. Mothers are coming to the camp with their kids and the children and mothers are changing. Moms are feeling joy for the future, talking of college for their kids, something that at a time was unimaginable. The boys who have grown through the camp programs are coming back in their early twenties, and, despite their tough demeanor, are embracing our leaders and singing right along with the young kids. Youth outside the Sawmill Quarters are coming in to participate in the program. This land of untouchables is being embraced. The similarity I see here is that many would say, "What is two weeks a year really doing for this community?" But the proof is there. Even if it seems small, this two weeks is life changing. A group from New England is embracing the hopeless in Mississippi and giving them consistant love, hope in heaven, and encouragement while on earth. It is in no way a small act. Even if those first few years were rocky, the work reaped beauty. The same is true for adoption. As impatient as I am, each frustration is going to be worth it. The group sang a song today with the lines, "I lean not on my own understanding, my life is the hands of the maker of heaven." And that is essentially what each of us has to do when we don't understand the hardship ahead. Even if we feel impatient or our work seems futile, we can find peace knowing that God sees the big picture and he has a great big perfect plan. |
AuthorJo and I met when we were 15 and we have been married for 9 years. We have three boys, Braydon, Milo, and Luca. Archives
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"Do you want to do something beautiful for God? There is a person who needs you. This is your chance." -Mother Teresa
The first time I saw you was like a dream come true. No I didn't give you the gift of life, life gave me the gift of you. (Author unknown)
Join along as we follow God's leading into adoption. We hope to adopt in 2014 or 2015 and we are happy to share this journey with you. We already love this baby and pray for him or her daily…