We received our Provisional Approval from USCIS today! This means that now all we have to do is wait for George to say "come on."
George is traveling to Hungary as I write this and Jana is e-mailing him to let him know that we received this so that he can make our travel plans.
God is good and amazing! So thankful to be on this journey!
The kids started packing their bags and Lizzie's bag last night. With a little encouragement from some precious friends - they decided to get ready and that God would honor that and say "go."
I love it and am so blessed to be a part of seeing Him work in such mighty ways.
Reese has set our official travel date - and the kids are believing that he can make it happen. We know that God can make it happen!
I will post as soon as I know!
Thanks again for the prayers, excitement, love and encouragement!
Lisa
Monday, January 9, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
Christmas
I hope to be posting VERY soon that we have our travel plans. We are still awaiting our provisional approval from the USCIS - praying for a joyous trip to the mailbox today :).
Believing God that we will travel this month! Thank you again for your excitement for us and also your prayers!
Lisa
Monday, December 12, 2011
Update
Just a little update to say that we are falling more and more in love with our Lizzie's picture each day and it is heartwrenching not to be with her! We are so thankful for God's faithfulness along this journey and we know that He will continue to provide - step by step.
Wanted to let you know that we cannot post pictures of her. As far as I know we cannot do that until we are home from Hungary.
When we go we will be gone for 6 weeks and all 4 of us are going. We hope to travel in January.
On Friday, we officially accepted the referral! We are now waiting for some final documents to be translated and then for our I - 800 to be sent to Texas for approval from the US Govt. We have been told this process takes anywhere from 2-6 weeks. We are praying for the 2 week plan! :). Then our facilitator in Hungary will make our final travel plans Still praying that we could have travel plans by Christmas. It would be a miracle - but God is in the miracle business! Another matter for prayer - the weather. Our facilitator - George - does not want us to come and be stranded anywhere as the first week we are there we will be staying about an hour from where Lizzie lives and will commute each day to spend time with her. Again - if God can connect a family from Decatur, AL to a little girl in Hungary - He can handle the weather issue - He made the weather!
I have so many thoughts ... this is by far the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life - yet I wouldn't trade this year for anything, and I cannot imagine the blessings in store for us as we become a family of five.
For any of you considering adoption - pray HARD! God will lead and make it so clear - but clear doesn't mean easy.
I am so excited to be at this point - how many times I prayed - if we could just get that referral - then I would have peace. And I do... mostly. However, fear continues to creep in and sometimes even panic - about all of the unknowns. Some days I walk through my house just saying "Peace, peace, I need Your peace!" I am praying for a peace that passes all understanding for little Lizzie as her world is about to be turned upside down. I pray for peace to fill me and for God to take away my fears and help me to live each day trusting Him - trusting Him when I wonder if she will be mean to John Reese and Ellie, if she will like us, if she will be angry, if she will let me comfort her, if she will like homeschooling...But then I remember that I serve the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords... and I am filled with His peace, but, to be really honest, then it starts over - peace, fear, panic, PRAY ... peace...
I am blessed beyond measure and give thanks in all things - even the fear and panic.
Thank you for your prayers along this journey!
In His grace,
Lisa
Wanted to let you know that we cannot post pictures of her. As far as I know we cannot do that until we are home from Hungary.
When we go we will be gone for 6 weeks and all 4 of us are going. We hope to travel in January.
On Friday, we officially accepted the referral! We are now waiting for some final documents to be translated and then for our I - 800 to be sent to Texas for approval from the US Govt. We have been told this process takes anywhere from 2-6 weeks. We are praying for the 2 week plan! :). Then our facilitator in Hungary will make our final travel plans Still praying that we could have travel plans by Christmas. It would be a miracle - but God is in the miracle business! Another matter for prayer - the weather. Our facilitator - George - does not want us to come and be stranded anywhere as the first week we are there we will be staying about an hour from where Lizzie lives and will commute each day to spend time with her. Again - if God can connect a family from Decatur, AL to a little girl in Hungary - He can handle the weather issue - He made the weather!
I have so many thoughts ... this is by far the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life - yet I wouldn't trade this year for anything, and I cannot imagine the blessings in store for us as we become a family of five.
For any of you considering adoption - pray HARD! God will lead and make it so clear - but clear doesn't mean easy.
I am so excited to be at this point - how many times I prayed - if we could just get that referral - then I would have peace. And I do... mostly. However, fear continues to creep in and sometimes even panic - about all of the unknowns. Some days I walk through my house just saying "Peace, peace, I need Your peace!" I am praying for a peace that passes all understanding for little Lizzie as her world is about to be turned upside down. I pray for peace to fill me and for God to take away my fears and help me to live each day trusting Him - trusting Him when I wonder if she will be mean to John Reese and Ellie, if she will like us, if she will be angry, if she will let me comfort her, if she will like homeschooling...But then I remember that I serve the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords... and I am filled with His peace, but, to be really honest, then it starts over - peace, fear, panic, PRAY ... peace...
I am blessed beyond measure and give thanks in all things - even the fear and panic.
Thank you for your prayers along this journey!
In His grace,
Lisa
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
God is good! Lizzie is coming home!
We have received a referral for our precious daughter. We are thankful and excited and humbled by God's goodness and grace. She is 5 years old and will turn 6 on Friday, December 2. She has dark blonde curls and brown eyes and is so precious. We are falling more and more in love with her as we stare at her picture!
She had a rough start in life, weighing only a pound and a half. She is definitely a miracle!
We hope to go get her the end of January!
God has clearly directed this journey in our lives and there is nothing I would change. (Ok - maybe the fingerprint issue - but there were lessons to learn there as well!)
It hasn't been easy and takes so much faith. I have been stretched beyond where I thought I could stretch, and I know the journey is only just beginning. Walking by faith is scary. This really has been like walking through a dark forest with only a flash light in front of me- step by step and trusting God.
God's word has become such a comfort to me and I truly crave it now and have a hunger to know Him more each day.
I am so thankful for my husband whose faith is so BIG! Where I doubt, he is confident. Where I fear, he is fearless.
I love that God - and only God- can help us love more deeply as He molds and shapes us. Walking through this process of faith and prayer as a family has already been an amazing blessing! I can't imagine all God has in store for us when we become a family of 5!
Ephesians 3:20-21
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory.... forever and ever! Amen.
She had a rough start in life, weighing only a pound and a half. She is definitely a miracle!
We hope to go get her the end of January!
God has clearly directed this journey in our lives and there is nothing I would change. (Ok - maybe the fingerprint issue - but there were lessons to learn there as well!)
It hasn't been easy and takes so much faith. I have been stretched beyond where I thought I could stretch, and I know the journey is only just beginning. Walking by faith is scary. This really has been like walking through a dark forest with only a flash light in front of me- step by step and trusting God.
God's word has become such a comfort to me and I truly crave it now and have a hunger to know Him more each day.
I am so thankful for my husband whose faith is so BIG! Where I doubt, he is confident. Where I fear, he is fearless.
I love that God - and only God- can help us love more deeply as He molds and shapes us. Walking through this process of faith and prayer as a family has already been an amazing blessing! I can't imagine all God has in store for us when we become a family of 5!
Ephesians 3:20-21
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory.... forever and ever! Amen.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Blessed
"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. for the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who WAIT for him!" Isaiah 30:18
We are blessed to wait, to learn patience and trust and faithfulness at a level I never imagined. We began this process exactly one year ago. I would have promised that I just couldn't wait a year - and I couldn't have in my own strength.
Please continue to pray for paperwork to be processed in Hungary for children to be available for adoption, please pray that Lizzie is in this group! Please pray that George will be burdened by getting our daughter to her family. I pray that he will not be able to get her off his mind and will do all in his power to make this happen soon!
One day - I am going to post really big news on this blog! And I will be screaming so loudly my neighbors will hear :).
Thanks for waiting and praying with us!
Lisa
We are blessed to wait, to learn patience and trust and faithfulness at a level I never imagined. We began this process exactly one year ago. I would have promised that I just couldn't wait a year - and I couldn't have in my own strength.
Please continue to pray for paperwork to be processed in Hungary for children to be available for adoption, please pray that Lizzie is in this group! Please pray that George will be burdened by getting our daughter to her family. I pray that he will not be able to get her off his mind and will do all in his power to make this happen soon!
One day - I am going to post really big news on this blog! And I will be screaming so loudly my neighbors will hear :).
Thanks for waiting and praying with us!
Lisa
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Please Pray
George is leaving Hungary again to return to Canada. He continues to watch as children have their paperwork processed to be able to be adopted. We continue to pray that Lizzie is in this group and that her paperwork would be processed quickly and that we will know something soon.
Thank you all for checking in with us - asking if we have news - and mostly for PRAYING! Prayer works, and won't it be so precious to tell our Lizzie that so many people prayed her here. We are so thankful that God has led us on this journey.
God is good. His timing is perfect. He keeps his promises.
"I trust in God’s unfailing love
for ever and ever.
9 For what you have done I will always praise you
in the presence of your faithful people.
And I will hope in your name,
for your name is good." Psalm 52:8-9
Thank you all for checking in with us - asking if we have news - and mostly for PRAYING! Prayer works, and won't it be so precious to tell our Lizzie that so many people prayed her here. We are so thankful that God has led us on this journey.
God is good. His timing is perfect. He keeps his promises.
"I trust in God’s unfailing love
for ever and ever.
9 For what you have done I will always praise you
in the presence of your faithful people.
And I will hope in your name,
for your name is good." Psalm 52:8-9
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