The Wait

Hi Friends,

So many of you continue to ask for updates of when our boys will be home, and unfortunately we continue to not be able to answer your questions. TRUST ME when I say that we are also eagerly anticipating their arrival, but all we can do is trust God and wait. 

Through this process, I am continually challenged by the amount of patience it takes. I have some days where I feel calm and am able to full rely on God to take care of the details...and then there are days when I feel like I'm going crazy and the day to meet them will never come. I wish I had more details to give, I wish I could tell you all exactly what date we will be leaving, I wish I could tell you their favorite color or food or toy...but I can't...and that's the reality of adoption. We love children we've never met and they've already become an integral part of our family despite living halfway across the world. Every night I look into their room and picture our boys in their beds fast asleep. I dream about all the memories we'll make, the fun we'll have and the craziness that will ensue. I can't wait to hear the pitter patter of their feet in the hallway and the sound of their laugh from their bedroom. 

People continue to tell me how much our lives will change once they're here, and how we should cherish all the time we have just the two of us. I agree and understand where they're coming from, but I honestly can't wait for our lives to change in this way. We've been told countless times how lucky the boys are to have us as parents, but in reality I think Paul and I are the lucky ones. These boys have seen worse things in their 3 years of existence than I have in my whole life. They have struggled and cried with no one to hear them and have never known the love of a mom and dad. When people tell me how much our lives will change, I think about how much our lives will be BLESSED by the addition of these two amazing little boys. I think about how even though our lives will be turned upside down, the thought of being able to take in these two, precious lives and let them love us as much as we love them will be priceless. All of the crying and worry and anxiety and waiting will be completely worth it, because it means these boys will have a family and we will get to be their mom and dad.

So while we continue to wait, we pray for their lives and well-being from across the world. We pray that God will love them, care for them and provide for them even when we can't be there. We pray that their hearts will be ready for a family, and that we will be knit together by love and the sheer grace of God. Adoption is crazy and messy and hard but worth every minute.

Thank you all for your continued love and support. We couldn't do this without you and we can't wait to share all the details as soon as we know them :) We covet your prayers and we look forward to watching God's plan unfold.

With Love,

THANK YOU!

Dear Friends and Family,

We want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who donated to our March Madness fundraiser! 

We raised $7,200!! Yes, I did just write $7,200!! 

I feel like we've said this a million times before, but words cannot express our true gratitude for the outpouring of love and support that we continue to receive! The financial side of adoption continues to be daunting and overwhelming, but every day we learn how to trust God a little more, and He continues to be so faithful in His provision. 

As of right now we are $500 away from meeting our next deadline, which will be due in the next month. After that we are still estimating another $12,000-$15,000 to complete the process. These later fees include airfare (to and from for us and the boys), Visas (for us and the boys), paperwork fees required by the US Embassy, medical exams, vaccinations, medications (for us and the boys), passports for the boys, lodging, food, and drivers while in Uganda, post-placement reports once we return to the US (done by our social worker who did our home study), and finalizing the adoption of the boys in the US (when they will officially become Stevens!!). So with all of that said, your contributions are not in vain - when we say every dollar counts - we mean it!! We thank God every day that He will multiply these gifts, not only on our behalf, but on YOUR behalf as well. We can't tell you how much your support - whether financial or emotional - means to us. Knowing that so many people are on our side - praying, loving, and giving to us - helps us to keep moving forward and follow this call on our lives.

This journey is challenging us and growing us in new ways every day and all we can do is continue to trust God and know that somehow He will help us accomplish the task of bringing our sweet boys home!

Thank you to all of you who continue to partner with us in this process! We couldn't do it without you!

Love,