Waiting to Adopt

Are you waiting to adopt a child domestically or internationally?

Kids excitedly wait for their birthday.  Tweens anticipate High School and High Schoolers can't wait until graduation!  College age kids look forward to careers and marriage.  Married couples can't wait to have children.  Parents can't wait for peace and quiet!  It never ends.... we wait.  We get.  Then, we wait on something else.

However, if you are an adoptive family - you know waiting to adopt a child is a TOTALLY different wait than ANYTHING you have ever experienced.

And, I'm sure that you would agree, that it is a feeling not many can relate to.  It seriously feels like part of your heart is missing.  That's the only words I know to use.  Waiting to adopt a child causes you to feel like you are CONSTANTLY missing out on something.  We struggled with fertility issues early in our marriage - I cried often and my heart hurt.  I would see other women who were expecting and I would "miss" not being pregnant - even though I had never been pregnant!  While waiting to adopt, we "miss" a child that we may have never even seen.

 

The adoption process takes "waiting: and "missing" to an entirely new level.  My sister-in-law, Jeannie, is pictured here with her son Sheldon.  She has left him in Haiti and is now waiting.....

This picture says what waiting to adopt feels like.

It is heart wrenching knowing your child is in another country waiting for a family.  It is heart wrenching knowing that in your domestic adoption the birth mother still has a few more days to change her mind.  Waiting to adopt brings lots of tears.  Lots of questions.  And, far to often few answers as to when the waiting will end.

You are probably waiting on something too.  Maybe it's not adoption.  But, whatever it is, I'm sure your heart hurts also. A good friend encouraged me this week with this verse found in Isaiah 40:31, "but those who hope in the Lord they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

While waiting to adopt --- or whatever it is that you are waiting on, why not blog your journey?  Share the ups and downs with others who might be EXACTLY where you are at during your process.  And, if you are going to blog, why not GET PAID while you are doing it?!? I know, first hand, how COSTLY adoption can be. CLICK HERE NOW to find out more.

IF you have any questions about fundraising/blogging e-mail me
 

Finding Life's Purpose

Yep.  That’s me.  Age 15.  Weighing 100 lbs at best with 20 lbs of that weight being Aqua Net hairspray.  It’s important that your bangs look just right while ministering to others ;-)

Looking at this photo I’m reminded of my life’s purpose and how God planned for me to have a multicultural family.

.

 Red, yellow, black and white they are precious in His sight…(you know the rest) …Jesus loves the little children of the world.  ALL the children.  And it's FOR the children that I'm sharing my life's purpose with you today.

As a little girl, I was always drawn to baby dolls with dark skin. Unfortunately, in East Tennessee during the 70’s, my desire for a brown baby doll was considered VERY odd.  However, one Christmas, my dream came true!!  Little did I know that this doll with gorgeous brown skin, dark eyes, and perfect yellow outfit with matching bonnet would (I believe) officially begin my journey and life’s purpose.  She was the most beautiful doll I had ever seen!  I get chills just recalling this brief childhood story.  I loved that doll as if she were my own child!  In my mind, at age 8, I had become a mother and I had a multicultural family.

I can trace God’s hand for my life’spurpose all the way back to my childhood.  He planted in me a love for all nations and a desire to have a multicultural family

.

Thank you God for moving in the lives of children! I’m so thankful that my parents took seriously my request and  made the decision to buy me that baby doll.

It was God’s moving, once again, in the life of children that confirmed to my husband and I the decision to adopt and become a multicultural family.  It seems that since our 3 children could speak they have ALL THREE prayed, “And dear God, please let us adopt.”  At age 8 our middle child would grab someone’s phone and then text my husband saying, “Dad, this is Cassidy.  Can’t we save just one?”

I Timothy 4:12
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

Wow!  What a verse.  Yes, God speaks to and thru children.  When I was 8 years old, God was opening the door to my life’s purpose by giving me the desire for a baby doll!  Sounds crazy, huh?  Yet, how cool is our God – that when my very own daughter was 8 years old she had a STRONG desire for us to adopt a child from Africa and become a multicultural family.

I like to think that the details of my life’s purpose started around age 8 when I asked for that baby doll.  At age 9, I became a believer in Jesus Christ. At age 14 is when God started to deepen the passion in my heart to care for those in need.  While on a mission trip as a teen - I became so attached to the children I played with for 5 days in the projects of New Orleans, that I cried the entire 12 hour drive back home.  My eyes were swollen and my heart was forever broken.

I’m confident that this is a blog will be about many different things by the time it’s all said and done!

However, I hope to share my LIFE’SPURPOSE: having a heart for children in poverty, orphans, adoption, (maybe a few fundraising tips in case you are adopting! LOL), being a multicultural family and of course stories of how being a believer in Jesus Christ has forever changed my life.

I once heard a widow from Kenya say, “It is never crowded at the foot of the cross. God always has room for one more.”  Remembering that truth, as a multicultural family, our family has made the choice that we have Room 4 ONE Moore.
What is you life’s purpose? I would love to read your comments below.

Adopted By Christ,

Ginger Moore

Our Journey

The rest of our court trip :-)

Our room complete w/mosquito net

Psalm 68:6

"God sets the lonely in families..."

OK – truth be told we’ve been home from Ethiopia a few weeks and I can’t exactly pretend like it’s Day 3 so I’m going to sum up Days 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7! 

  BEAUTIFUL

 I would not trade a moment.  Even though we didn’t initially pass court (Day 3). Even though Yemelek really started to show his mischievous side (Day 4). Photo below:)

Even though my heart stopped and I literally could not speak when we dropped him off at the orphanage (Day 7) – it was still beautiful.

Would it have been nice to pass court while at court?  Of course!  Was it embarrassing when Yemelek pretended not to hear us calling his name and refused to come out from under the kitchen table?  Absolutely!  Did we want to leave him in Ethiopia and start the waiting all over again? No words can ever explain how heart wrenching that day was ….

I say it was beautiful because I have watched God create beauty from ashes.

 

Our journey started in Uganda with a referral of a baby boy 8 months old.  We will never know what has happened to baby “E” and he will forever be in our prayers.  On April 19^th, 2012 I wrote an honest blog about the heartache from the loss of our referral = ashes.  On April 28^th, 2012 Russ and I watched a video clip of a 6 year old orphan = ashes.  The week of June 25^th a family was born = beauty.

God does place the lonely in families.  Yemelek .... and even baby "E" - were created for a family.  In a perfect world they would be with their parents, plan A.  Because this world is broken - Russ and I are really plan B you could say.  However, our God works in the midst of brokenness and His fingerprints are all over this plan B. I'm so thankful to be where He is at work. 

Day TWO Ethiopia

Psalm 28:2
² Hear my cry for mercy
    as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
    toward your Most Holy Place.

 

Day 1 with Yemelek was just a quick visit at the transition house.  We went back to the guest house without him and absolutely crashed for the night --- well, I crashed.  Russ tried to sleep but mosquitoes, barking dogs and chanting Muslims the 3AM call to prayer kept him awake most of the night. 

So – now it’s Day 2 and off we go back to the house for another visit. When we arrive, Yemelek is out in the play area wearing his soccer pajama’s I had put in his backpack and given him the day before. He comes up to us and gives us a little attention, but immediately wants the I-Phone.  Kids ALL around the world love I-Phones!  He takes turns with mine and then with Russ’ taking pics and videos of anything and everything.

At this point, we weren’t sure if he would come back with us to the guest house for the week or not.  We were prepared either way.  To our surprise he was able to come w/us!!!  He willingly grabbed his backpack and jumped in the car….all smiles.  I’ve come to learn that this is typical Yemelek – always smiling.

He and Russ played basketball w/a soccer ball to kinda break the ice some when we arrived at the house.  Then we got tickled because Yemelek was soooo proud that he could say “basketball” but then he started calling every ball and every game we played “basketball”! LOL

For dinner we decided to walk to a Chinese restaurant that was right around the corner. (The Chinese have many building projects going on in Ethiopia)  By this point, Yemelek was starting to feel comfortable with us. He held my hand as we walked and had started to call us mommy and daddy! 

We’ve been trying to learn phrases in his language. If you are adopting a child that speaks Amharic, I really encourage you to check out this site: http://adoptlanguage.com/ At dinner we tried them out – he just laughed.  I’m sure Tennessee Amharic is hilarious to hear!! By bedtime he was talking to us non-stop as if we spoke Amharic.  We didn’t understand a word and he didn’t seem to mind or be frustrated. 

Russ and I were just amazed how on this first “real” day with Yemelek, he was so comfortable, happy and his little personality truly fits right in with our family. I know our love for him will continue to grow.  It absolutely blows my mind how God continues to work.  If you read my post about our failed adoption in Uganda or know us personally – you understand how devastating that loss was to us and our biological children. It took everything in me to praise Him in the middle of that storm.  It’s easy to cry out to the Lord for mercy, but it’s a whole new ballgame to lift hands to Him in praise during pain.

Yemelek is putting his best foot forward.  I can’t pretend that the months and years ahead will be all roses.  He’s going to be a Moore – so without a doubt we will have lots of fun times and laughter. It’s only our second day with him and in our hearts Yemelek is already our son.  Yet, there will come a time when he will grieve his loss – his mother, his country.  Also, having received little discipline, a very long parenting road lies ahead of us. I pray that as we walk through each storm that we will be a family that lifts our hands towards His most Holy Place. That regardless of the pain or difficultly – we ALWAYS remember how the Lord was in this adoption. How we were predestined to be the forever family of Yeameleksara.

Day ONE Ethiopia

Isaiah 61:3

³     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

painted on the wall outside guest house

We arrived in Addis Ababa Ethiopia around 8 am (Saturday).  The guest house where we are staying is only 5 or so minutes from the airport.  We arrived and spent a couple of hours here with 2 other families (who are leaving w/their children tonight) and our adoption coordinator who is here visiting.

Our coordinator then took us to the “transition home” where “Y” is.  This is not the orphanage.  This is where children who have been matched with families go and wait for their court date and for their families to come get them.  When we arrived, we drove through the gate (everywhere here has tall walls surrounding the bldg. and one gate to enter through), “Y” was playing in the front yard.  All the children rushed up to us including him, and he was grinning from ear to ear. 

We were instructed to bring a backpack of goodies for him (and brought a few things for the other children).  All of the children who have families in the transition home have backpacks and are very proud of their contents!  “Y” gave us a slight hug and then wanted his backpack IMMEDIATELY! Lol He also opened it IMMEDIATELY!  And then, we don’t think he ever took his backpack off.  He was very proud of it.

his backpack

Everything was good but also a little awkward…. other kids were wanting our attention, we knew his birthmother was somewhere at the house waiting on us, he was tossing things onto the ground from out of his backpack, etc…. You can get the picture.  Luckily,  I’ve heard enough “first meeting adoption stories” to know that rarely does anyone have that precious moment where eyes lock, tears of happiness are shed and POOF you are a family.

We sat with “Y” just a little while outside with other kids in our laps and on our hips.  Then, we made the move to go inside to meet his mother.  She was a beautiful 19 year old Muslim girl. She went on to tell us a very moving story about “Y”.  She was pregnant with him at 13 years old and tried to have an abortion because the father did not want a child.  He was young also.  However, the abortion “did not take” in her words.  It sounded as if she had tried several times.  For this reason his birth name means miracle work of God.  WOW.  We have all of this on video.  Priceless.  She kissed him several times and he was also affectionate towards her.  Together, we looked at photo’s of our family.  His mother was very happy to know that we had other children.  I gave her a photo album as a keepsake and she was very thankful.

We took some “family” photo’s including his mother.  I want him to have these and hope that he has happy memories of his time w/his mom.  In adoption, the “B” word – meaning birthmother can be a VERY scary thing…..even when adopting internationally.  On the way to Ethiopia part of me was pretty bummed that this was the route God had laid out for us.  It’s easy to want to just grab your child and get the heck out of dodge, so to speak!!  But the fact is – “Y” had a life before us.  To totally ignore all of that, like life didn’t happen until he met us, would be ridiculous.

together at last

It makes me think about our relationship with Christ.  For believers, we had life before we met Christ.  Part of that life could have been very good and part of that life could have been very, very dark.  Regardless – it’s what do we do with all that stuff (good or bad) once we claim Him as Lord.  Do we act like life never happened?  Or – do we use it for His purpose?

I DO NOT intend to draw the parallel that Russ and I are like Christ in anyway and have “saved” this little boy.  Not at all!!  I’m just saying how we have a choice.  First, as his mother, I have to embrace the realities of what “Y” has faced. His birthmother was 13 when he was born. She tried to abort him. Life was too difficult so she gave him up.  WOW – harsh, huh?  However, with discretion, I can share stories of “Y’s” past, show him pictures, pray for his mother and that information can be used to help him fulfill his ultimate purpose for the kingdom. 

Just like, with discretion, you and I can share personal stories, experiences, etc… from our past and use them to help others grow in Christ and allow us to fulfill our God given purpose. 

It’s tempting to shut down and totally close the door on a chapter of your life, especially when it’s been hard.  I encourage you to make the choice to embrace the good, bad and the ugly.  He will bestow a crown of beauty instead of ashes.

AMAZING

We are going to court 
JUNE 25th, 2012 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!