A Few Thoughts

OK, today is the day that this blog will no longer be accessible unless you are given permission.  I'll wait until night time just in case anyone who is following missed my last post.
 

Jeremy and I are so touched by the many e-mails that I received from readers of this blog who want to have access when it's private.  I had almost fifty people contact me either through comments or e-mail.  Many of them said that they have been praying for Anna.  Some of them prayed for her many weeks ago that her family would find her and they were so grateful that their prayers were answered.  This touches us so much.  I can't tell you how this makes us feel.  Many of these people have never commented on the blog or e-mailed me until now. Thank you to all of you who are praying to help bring our sweet girl home to us. I know that God hears all of our prayers and that he loves Anna and wants her to come home. I know this.  I have never felt closer to Him in my life.  This has been such a sweet experience.

Like all adoption bloggers, I have mixed feelings about going private.  I like the fact that I know who my readers are and that we are safe from the possibility of jeopardizing the adoption on the Eastern Europe end.  But at the same time, I think of those who could be inspired by it in some way and will hit that brick wall that says, "this blog is only open to invited readers."  That's sad! I know that the purpose of our adoption is so much greater than the actual adoption itself.  I think we'll leave it private until we officially accept her "referral," then I'll have to decide what to do between that time and court, which will be a few months.  It's really best to be vague and not share info about the place or the child's name until after court.

OK people. Our agency's coordinator in Anna's city needs lots of prayers.  She has been calling every day to try get an appointment with the director of the Ministry of Education, who was out sick for weeks and is now just trying to catch up with her duties.  When they finally have this meeting, she will be advocating not only for Anna, Josiah and Ian, but any future children who have special needs in this city's orphanages.  Reece's Rainbow has partnered with our agency to find families for many of these children and help bring them home.  This is a new program and a lot lies in the hands of those who make the decisions.  Little lives, to be exact.  I know one thing they are going to discuss is the possibility of getting the special needs cases to go through more quickly.  These children need services and some need medical intervention as soon as possible.  But a few cases of abuse by foreign adoptive families have made it very difficult for the rest of us.  So many miracles are needed to change the mindset of the leaders and give them greater confidence. As of now, the adoption of these children isn't a priority to them.  Just look at how long our file has been sitting in their office, untouched. Our coordinator is fighting hard for Anna and for all the others.  But she needs more than just her abilities to persuade.  She needs miracles.