Nov 14, 2008

Adoption...a look at God's hands




This month has been declared to be National Adoption Month, by our country. If you are new here, welcome, today I am going to share my greatest passion that God has given me:
Adoption.
You might be wondering what Princess Sparky's (14) picture is about today. Well, 14 years ago today, I got a phone call from our adoption attorney, it was around 8 p.m. and she was calling to say that she had a 14 month old little Hungarian girl, who she thought might be the "one" we were waiting for.
Now, this day that she called on, happened to be my birthday. She didn't have a clue, but God did. You see at 13 years old God asked me to adopt. At thirteen years old, I knew the voice of my Lord and without hesitation I said, "Yes, Lord." This was the beginning of my passion for adoption. The passion has grown with a godly fire each year.
The Holy Spirit led me to a godly man two years later. On our second date (I was 15) I told him I had made a vow with the Lord, that adoption was in my future. If it wasn't in his, than I wasn't the girl for him. My young Knight pondered it in his heart, 5 years later we were married.
Our homemade daughter came as a surprise, we were told that because of a heart condition they discovered in me, that I would be infertile. God opened my womb and gave me Pirate Jacky. He knew that I needed her, she is such a help and such a girl filled with wisdom.
Then, He opened the Iron Curtain and sent us in to Hungary...within a year Little Princess Sparky was in our arms.
A few years later, He called us into adoptive foster care. He brought us a 3 year old blonde beauty, Princess Sunshine. We stood in the gap believing for her life-2 years later we were sworn in as her parents, praising God.
Our story continues that then, God sent us to an international adoption, to give us what He called a "respite" (rest) from foster care. We prepared for Guatemala, with our agency All God's Children International. During our wait for our referral, the Holy Spirit woke me one night and told me to stir the waters with foster care. I told my Knight and the phone calls began. Eventually the state told us we could babysit for other foster families...which means we could do respite care. We did.
We had a few babies then got a call for a sibling group of 3: ages 3, 4 and 5. They needed 10 days of respite care. We said yes. Turns out that God meant 10 days to be forever. Within a few short months, we put our adoption to Guatemala on hold and adopted the triplets.
God sent us back to Guatemala with the same agency. Then the country closed to adoption. We began waiting in Ethiopia in January of 2008. We got our referral in September. We have a court date Dec. 12th of 2008. Hoping to have Little Beauty home this year!
Now what I want to share is adoption. As I read my list of labels or tags...you will see that 75 times I have spoken of adoption. More than anything else so far. My heart cries out for the orphans, I would gladly take them all, but my Father wants me to share the joy with you...would you consider adoption?
Here are two links for you to consider:
(these kids are in foster care here in the U.S.- there adoptions are virtually free)
Asking God that He will stir hearts today and rescue another orphan, honestly what better birthday present could I ask for?

16 comments:

Luke Holzmann said...

Happy Birthday and Adoption Day! We're still waiting for our paperwork, but it's exciting to read the stories of others.

~Luke

Tamara said...

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Adoption day to Princess Sparky!

And thank you for continuing to encourage others along the journey to adoption!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, Kimmie! :D Hope it`s a good one.

I would love to adopt since it`s in my heart to have four children (and I never, ever want to go through another pregnancy!), but Irving is 100% against adoption. :( Though I suspect if I were to bring home a little one, he wouldn`t say no, but so far I haven`t figured out how to do that. lol.

Years ago, before we had our own, I was looking after a sweet little guy who was just a year old, while his mother looked for work. They had been living on the street and stayed with us (in our one-room house!) for a few nights until she found a place to stay. The little guy was sick with bronchitis and she didn`t even have money for diapers when she came . . . later, once they`d gone, Irving told me, "We should have kept him. I could love that little boy." So I know he has it in there . . . somewhere. ;)

Renata said...

Happy Birthday Kimmie!!! What a lovely birthday present you were given 14 years ago! Adoption is a beautiful thing & I often wonder if it's in our future - it is something both Dave & I are interested in.

Anonymous said...

To give love to a child who needs it is one of the most beautiful things a person can do.

Honestly, to give love to the disenfranchised in general is a beautiful act of kindness. Good work getting out the word.

Shawnstribe said...

thank you for sharing your journey with me, abeautiful story.
Pls pray forus a swe request another home study in the new year
xxx
s

Barbara A. said...

Kimmie,
Today, the 14th of November, is a very special day for our family also. It's the day our son Timothy, and our daughter Mary, became our children. On this day 11 years ago, we promised to the Chinese government, to love and cherish these children. And we do!
Happy Birthday and Happy Adoption Day!
Barbara

Bobbie-Jo said...

Happy Birthday, Kimmie. I hope you get the "present" you wished for.

Do you celebrate individual adoption days with each of your children? Princess Sparky looks more and more grown up. There's a sophistication there...

Just lovely!

Tammy said...

Wishing you a happy birthday, Kimmie! What a wonderful gift you were given 14 years ago :-) I enjoy reading your adoption story and how God has opened the doors one by one and soon another!

When you mentioned Guatemala, it immediately reminded me of something. We just heard that our new youth pastor's family just got word that the little one that they've been waiting for in Guatemala has received a passport and they are now anticipating traveling sometime in the next week or two. Have adoptions reopened there?

Enjoy your special day!

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

Blessings,
Tammy ~@~

Kimmie said...

Hi Tammy;

Thanks for your kind words.

Guatemala is still unopen, but if a child had already been referred (not our case, we were still on a waiting list for our referral), then there was a slight chance that they would be able to still be adopted. Our agency has only brought one home (20 families still are waiting)in the last year, as you can imagine it is a long hard wait when you are in that position.

Praying for the country to open. Wonderful news for you youth Pastor! God bless them in getting the last details done and their child home.

Kimmie@overthemoonwithjoy

Michelle said...

Bless you Kimmie! Adoption is near and dear to my heart. I was just looking at all the waiting kids in the US the other night. I was sad for those that were 17 years old and looking for a family. What happens when they are 18 and age out of the system with no permanent family? Who do they go home to spend the holidays with? Who helps them go to college or trade school? Who does their laundry when they are in a bind? Who loans them a car when theirs breaks down.......

Happy Birthday! I pray you gets news about Little Beauty soon.

Anonymous said...

I followed a link to your blog. What a wonderful family story! My sister has adopted 4 children, the last 2 (twins) a few weeks ago. They're from Guatemala and Ghana. I'm going to give her this link. Here's hers: ourhappysong.blogspot.com

Anna

Elizabeth Bergeron said...

Hi, found your blog while reading thru the caringbridge for little Samuel. Anyway, I enjoyed reading about your adoption passions. We have two adopted children, Russia and China and 5 bio. There is such a need for both adoption and foster care, we are looking at that right now. We did begin a ministry to these children called A Child's Hope International. WE have a web site too, www.achildshopeintl.org, check it out. I will be following your journey to bring home your newest addition.

Tonni said...

Hello!
I have a passion for adoption as well... my husband and I are newly weds, so it hasn't happened yet, but I am actively fundraising so that we'll be ready when the time comes! I love reading about others who are ahead of us on this adventure!

Pam said...

How lovely! What a wonderful testimony of God's love for his children demonstrated by adopting a child! We have too! Six children: three homemade, and three adoptive miracles! Thanks for such a great post!

javamamma said...

I haven't been over in a while. (i'm not sure my google reader is working....) This post made me cry. Beautiful!

I was thinking of you the other day and wondering where things were with your current adoption plans. I'm glad I clicked over.

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