HUGE surprise!

It has been a month since I last posted. We still havn't been told our log-in date for China even though we are probably logged-in. But a lot has happened in the last month, really in the in last couple of weeks. If you don't want your life to change, don't ever read "Radical" or "Fields of the Fatherless", or attend a Perspectives class! In the begining of Feb. our SW called us to ask us if we might be open to a special needs baby girl born here in the area. That very morning before she called I had been praying again about an infant. Anyone who knows me knows that I have always wanted another infant. Rod and I discussed it in depth when we started the adoption process. We felt God was leading us to China for at least one boy then to turn around and adopt one girl, then possibly look into adopting an infant. So I quickly called Rod and he almost immediately said no because of her needs and because he was so anxious to get our little girl from China, he didn't want anything to stop that or slow it down. The next day a SW brought us the medical records of the baby girl because Rod still wanted to look at them. She talked to us for awhile and talked to Rod a lot about work. Then she asked us if we might be open to another baby they might need to place, a boy, whom our close friends had been fostering since his birth in Jan. She only asked us because he too had special needs and there wasn't anyone else open to him. He has a genetic disorder. So we researched his needs and felt it was something we might be open to. We continued to wait. I really wanted to say yes, but Rod wan't sure. He again didn't want to post-pone our China adoption and just felt that God probably wasn't calling us to this baby. I continued to pray and pray and cry out to God. I had to fully give myself to God and even though I wanted it so bad I wanted God's perfect will for our family and for this baby and I needed to submit to my husband. We couldn't tell anyone because all his info. was confidential because he wasn't available yet. So my close friend who was fostering him, she and I were on this silent, incredible journey. Sometimes she knew things I didn't, but couldn't tell me, but most of the time she didn't know much either. We had no idea what would happen with him. One day he was even taken from her home ans social workers were trying to figure out what to do. My friend and I cried and cried. For me, I didn't understand why God would have put me on this hard journey to have it end badly. But that is what God wants, full surrender, no matter the outcome. My husband came home form work that night and I was devastated. He got the older two kids out of bed and we prayed for God to work a miracle, whatever that might be. So the next day he was taken, then brought back later in the afternoon. God was working out this situatioon in a mighty way. The weeks continued to drag, he was still "unavailable" and my husband still was saying no. On the evening of March 3rd my husband went running. It had been exactly one month since we were asked about him. God spoke to him when he ran that night and then the next morning in Sunday school and during church. But he didn't tell me anything until Sunday afternoon. I was sitting on the love seat for Sunday afternoon quiet time. He is just standing there looking at me and then tells me that God had spoken to him and that his answer was YES! I cried and couldn't believe it. He told me about the process he had been through. He really thought God was only calling us to adopt Chinese children and I pretty much thought that also. But God opened our eyes to an orphan right in front of our faces. There was so much more peace now that we were on the smae page, but we still has to wait, we still didn't know what would happen. My husband had now said siad yes, but thought in his heart we would be told no. Thursday afternoon March 8th we get a call from our agency. She said the baby is going to be available, can we show your family picture. I said sure. I was in total shock I cried and screamed, just couldn't believe it! Rod and Caleb were at speech, I couldn't wait until he got back, it seemed like forever! I told him and he couldn't believe it. So we would have to wait for one more paper from the state before we could bring him home. We are still waiting on that paper. We are praying to get him on Monday. Please pray for that! Rod and I had already made reservations weeks earlier to go to a bed and breakfast with a gift certificate my parents had gotten us for Christmas. So we would love to take him with us. It will be so hard to go without him. We are so humbled as EVERY single detail of this story is just mind-blowing. Our whole church and homeschool community have been praying for this baby. It is a story of redemption. So his name is Joshua because it means salvation or redeemed. And his middle name is Christopher because that is what a nurse named him. And Christopher means Christ=bearer. There you have it! The short version of this incredible story. In a couple of days we are going form 3-4 kids in less than a year! We would appreciate prayers for our transition. And for his foster parents, our dear friends as they will have to adjust back to life and will miss him. But he isn't going away! They prayed to get to see him grow up. God is so awesome! How awesome that my dearest friend has so lovingly cared for him and I've gotten to witness her journey. What about China? We are still waiting to hear of our log-in date. We feel there is still a little girl for us there, so we will just wait awhile to be matched and hopefully travel next Spring or Summer. Thank you for your prayers!