Beginning Saturday, we began praying for Asher's dad. He had to board a bus for a 2-day bus ride to the capital for the final leg of his part in our journey... the last hurdle to bringing home our son. Because we know this was a long and difficult journey for this man and that he was giving up so much, both emotionally and physically, we kept reflecting on the sacrifice he was making, not putting undue pressure on him to show! We knew He who had set about to do a good work in not only us but Asher's dad also, was going to see that it was complete. We had peace that Asher's dad would show for his US Embassy appointment on Monday, August 19. We prayed that God would begin to heal his heart through this one, last selfless act and this act would touch him always. He could have taken the easy route so many take by just letting his son go out into the world, turn his back, and abandon him; however, God convicted this father to take the hard route by giving up his son, so that he could be in our family. Humbled to be a part of God's convictions and be able to see that God cut a perfect path for us to Asher, however this path may look from the outside :)
Asher's dad showed on Monday, and the embassy cleared our case while we were sleeping Monday night. What a joyous and amazing email to wake up to - AWESOME! We had waited 9 long weeks to hear, "Holwerda Family, your adoption case for Ashagre John Holwerda has cleared!" We submitted 3 dates in which to go back to Ethiopia for our visa appointment with the US Embassy; however, we submitted these dates about 90 minutes before the embassy closed for the day (they are 7 hours ahead of us), so we didn;t think we would hear anything until the next day. We heard back 30 minutes later with our first choice of dates - PTL! WOW! We leave Sept. 9 for a Sept. 12 visa interview and will make it home on Sept. 14. That is 20 days away. To say that we are over the moon excited is an understatement! AHHHHHHH... I may have danced, cried, shaken a little and shrieked a few times aloud. Asher is going to be home on Sept. 14... the perfect path cut just for us to Asher - humbling!
And, just like that, the "labor pains" of the wait, challenges on this journey, the tears, the extra unexpected loss of money to change direction, the fears over ever getting our son home, the 9 weeks in between trips to hear anything, blah, blah, blah, have all melted away into JOY, JOY, JOY!!
I wish I could blog while I run, because I really feel like God speaks to me in that alone time, when I am an open vessel. I set my praise music on low, and I popcorn pray for whatever or whoever comes into my head and into my heart, and God really speaks to me about lessons I need to learn or scripture I need to turn to for strength or in time of need or to praise Him with. Needless to say, I love my time running! This is what I got out of my run with God today...
Being in the "wait" is being in the fire - God's refinement! It is to make us better Christians, brighter lights and more faithful servants in God's Kingdom. We need to be MORE than when we started the adoption process to bring HIS chosen into our families. When we get to this point, God completes that good work He set about to do in us! I am overjoyed that we are so close to getting Asher home, that the process can end, but the lessons God taught us are now going to be put into action with our son, as our family grows and changes around him and with him in it. I am even more joyful that, in the last 2 years of this journey of adoption, our family has been refined. We have been made new in Him. We have grown in our faith. We have become brighter lights. We have served more of God's kingdom than if we hadn't ever been in that fire! That is JOY - Joy in the Lord! He delights in us, and we can honestly say, we have delighted in Him for who He is and for what He has done and will continue to do in us, through us, and because Asher is a part of our family!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, God! Thank you to all of you praying for us, over us, and around us, sending encouraging words, financially supporting us, loving us, letting us cry on your shoulder, supporting us physically, emotionally and spiritually! It has been a beautiful picture to us of God's hands and feet :) Thank you.
Blessings!
I wish I could blog while I run, because I really feel like God speaks to me in that alone time, when I am an open vessel. I set my praise music on low, and I popcorn pray for whatever or whoever comes into my head and into my heart, and God really speaks to me about lessons I need to learn or scripture I need to turn to for strength or in time of need or to praise Him with. Needless to say, I love my time running! This is what I got out of my run with God today...
Being in the "wait" is being in the fire - God's refinement! It is to make us better Christians, brighter lights and more faithful servants in God's Kingdom. We need to be MORE than when we started the adoption process to bring HIS chosen into our families. When we get to this point, God completes that good work He set about to do in us! I am overjoyed that we are so close to getting Asher home, that the process can end, but the lessons God taught us are now going to be put into action with our son, as our family grows and changes around him and with him in it. I am even more joyful that, in the last 2 years of this journey of adoption, our family has been refined. We have been made new in Him. We have grown in our faith. We have become brighter lights. We have served more of God's kingdom than if we hadn't ever been in that fire! That is JOY - Joy in the Lord! He delights in us, and we can honestly say, we have delighted in Him for who He is and for what He has done and will continue to do in us, through us, and because Asher is a part of our family!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, God! Thank you to all of you praying for us, over us, and around us, sending encouraging words, financially supporting us, loving us, letting us cry on your shoulder, supporting us physically, emotionally and spiritually! It has been a beautiful picture to us of God's hands and feet :) Thank you.
Blessings!
No comments:
Post a Comment