Adoption

Have I mentioned we are adopting? Because we are! We are only a tiny way into the process and already this could be one of the hardest things I have ever done. There are so many emotions involved.

I'm happy over the thought of a new member of our family and all the joy they will bring. I am worried that this just doesn't work out, maybe they don't like us or we don't mesh. I am anxious over what my baby is experiencing right now. Are they here on this earth living in an orphanage. Is their orphanage like the one we went to in Lesotho where the children are treated well. Or are they in one of the orphanages we heard horror stories about? Did they get to eat tonight or did a bigger, older kid take their food? Are they wondering if someone is coming for them? Or are they even born? Is their birth mother pregnant right now and wondering how she will ever provide for the little one growing in her belly? Is she praying over what to do or is she turing to alcohol to make the confusion a little less troubling?

And that is just some of what I think daily.

We started this process knowing that it is something we knew we wanted, no needed to do. I don't want to just take care of orphans, I want to make them orphans no more. There are so many children in this world who are just viewed as a inconvenience. When they are the opposite. Children are a blessing from the Lord. We knew we had to do this.

So we contacted the only agency in the US that adopts to Lesotho. The told us their program was fairly new and had a lengthy waiting list. We didn't, and still don't care. We will wait as long as it takes. Because our agency is in Tennessee, we had to find a Mississippi agency to do our home study and post-adoption visits. We selected one out of Tupelo and they have been amazing to work with.

We finished our last home study visits a week ago. We are finishing up paperwork (no one prepared me for the paperwork involved) and are chipping away at the 10 hours of training that we have to do.

We did a t-shirt fundraiser which brought in around $700 and are close to ordering another order of shirts! I have been in utter shock at how people have supported us this far. We have never been a part of a church family that truly bears your burdens, celebrates the highs, and asks you "how's it going" and truly cares about the answer- that is until now. Our faith family has blown us away with the support they have offered us.

We also did a garage sale. We bared the coldest, wettest day in May and sold as much as we could. We were also reminded how much people love us and this baby because friends and family came out just to help out. The night before we were loved on by friends as we were setting up and the day of they put on their rain gear and stood by us!

So whats next? Well we have to finish up all of the paperwork for our home study and submit that to our agency for final review. Then we will begin our dossier (doss-e-ay). This is a collection of more paperwork and legal documents that will go directly to Lesotho for our matching.

Please join with us in prayer that this process would go as quickly as possible. There is a child in an orphanage who has been told they aren't worth a family. We are setting out to tell them they are so, so loved.

Lesotho

Le- soo- two. We will just start with that.

In March, Nathan and I took a trip to Lesotho, South Africa. It changed our lives. For the better, but I can truly say that we were shaken in every way possible.

You, of course, know that it led us to make the decision that we want to adopt but before I get into all that that is, I wanted to just share about our trip.

Our team met at the church early the morning of our departure for prayer and communion. I loved this time. We were surrounded by our team mates, our families, and just praying members of our church body. They truly cared about what we were doing. And I loved communion. Camden's school didn't start until 9:00 that day so I got to hold onto him for a little extra time. He got to take communion with us. While he didn't understand anything that was going on, I lingered in the fact that I was holding my baby, cherishing the blood and body of Christ, while I was preparing to let him go and go love on other babies. It was bitter sweet.

Our team was made up of so many different talents! We had a dentist, teachers, and pediatric PT, construction workers, nurses, a minister (thats my boo y'all!) and others careers that the Lord put on this team to help us accomplish the things He had set out for us.

Our flight was 17 hours. We were haggard and tired of sitting. But we were in AFRICA! 

This shows just some of the luggage we brought. We were all allowed two checked bags. But personally, we only each used one. All the others were used for carrying supplies. We brought over 100 children's books and 100 pairs of shoes. We also carried tooth brushes, soap, tooth paste, and towels to hand out to the people the medical team encountered. 

The main crop in Lesotho is sunflowers. They were everywhere. It was so beautiful to see rolling hills of the most gorgeous sunflowers.

This is a sweat shop that Old Navy and Banana Republic use. The people who work here work under horrible conditions but cannot get out of the endless cycle that it begins. 

We finally arrived at Beautiful Gate after 5 more hours of driving from Johannesburg. We were so glad to be out of the car and settling into our lives for the next week.

We stayed in this guest house as a team. It was seriously so nice. We had bunks, a kitchen and a living area.

This orphanage is amazing. The campus is bright and well kept. There are toys all on the lawn and lots of room for the kids to run and grow. There are five houses that they children are split up in. Each house has a full time house mother (Mme- said May). Then there are volunteers who come and help with the daily events and routines. These women are amazing. I pray I can have half the patience they have.

While we were there we got to go out and see some of South Africa. We went to a place called the Green Goose. This amazing woman has tons of land and runs her own farm. She then makes her own cheese from her animals milk, feather pillows from the geese's down, and dinner from her garden. It is open by appointment only and we got the royal treatment. It was seriously some of the best food I have ever eaten.

After that, we went to a place called Temple Hoff. The man who own this place raises lions. Thats right people, lions. Like with real teeth! He showed us around his property and then let us love on his lion cubs! A true African experience.

This is my dad y'all. A true man! 

South Africa is gorgeous. And I was so blessed to be able to take this trip with my parents. It was the first time we had been on a mission trip like this and I am glad we got to do it together. It was also so special that they got to watch our adoption journey unfold in our hearts as we experienced each day together.

I took so many pictures at the orphanage. I wish I could share them all but for confidentiality purposes, I can't. So I will leave you with this precious one. This totally captures our time. We were all over those babies and they were all over us.

Here the Mmes and performing a traditional Basotho dance! So much fun being with these women. 

At the very end of the week, we were given the honor to be a part of an adoption ceremony. A mom had come from Sweden and was taking home her son. They do this amazing ceremony in which the Mme hands over the child that she has raised to their new forever family. I was a sobbing mess at this point. I had just said goodbye to a child I would love to call my son. And I was overwhelmed with the fact that this could be us one day. I think my favorite part of this trip was this time. The whole ceremony was performed in both Sesotho (the language spoken there) and English. I was reminded that heaven is not just for America. And love is not just for biological families. God is weaving us all together for his purposes.

Every tribe. Every nation. Every tongue. 

So blessed to have had this experience. I can not wait to return to the place that hold my heart. And I can't help but wonder if my child is there now.