Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Standing on the Rock!

Standing on the Rock is one of the best songs we sing during Sunday School hour and through out Vacation Bible School. This adoption process is suppose to be one of excitement, anticipation, love, prayer and most of all praise. At the beginning of this we knew our faith, patience's and our mentality would be tested. It is amazing how we feel God's Love, His Grace and most of all His hand holding ours during this process. There are times when Mark, Beau and I get frustrated with the not knowing and not hearing anything. Than I hear the younger ones talking and including Marcus in there plans. "When Marcus comes home". It is just a way of life for them.

I did receive and email yesterday from the consulars office from Monrovia yesterday. Here is some of the letter:

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Indeed the moratorium has lasted much longer than we thought it would. The Embassy has been hard pressed to get information from the Government of Liberia (GOL) on when exactly the moratorium will be lifted. Our latest information has been that the Government will review requests for special needs children, however it will be the entity that will determine if a child meets the requirement of “special need”.

Since the moratorium was announced, the GOL has established a “Hague Convention” type central authority that is reviewing Liberia’s adoption plan. The Central Authority is comprised of members from the Ministries of Justice, Health and Social, Foreign Affairs, Gender and Internal Affairs. This Authority will review all requests for adoption of children from Liberia and will establish adoption policy once the new law has been passed in the Senate.

The GOL has not grandfathered adoptions that were approved before the moratorium was announced but has mentioned in a recent letter to Adoption Service Providers operating in Liberia that it is “aware of the hardship faced by parents you have adopted children but have been unable to complete the adoption to the point that a child may travel with its parent to the United States.”
Truthfully, I cannot say when the suspension might be lifted. The only information I can pass on is that you do the best you can in seeing that your child has those things that would help in preventing or in the treatment of malaria, i.e., mosquitoes nets, repellents and treatment if he should come down with malaria. I know this does not remove the longing for your child but it at least might assist in keeping him healthy and safe.

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So we know it is going to take continued prayer and leave it all in God's hands. As we press on and see what God has planned for our family, we ask that you pray, and I beg you pray hard for our agency (as we wait for Marcus), that they're hearts soften to lets us find options in our situation.
Please also pray for other families who are waiting!
Praise for a family from Katelyn's Fund who received a sibling group referral! Yippee!
Here are some awesome scriptures I found! I put some pictures of our past week with them. God Bless You all!


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Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

James 1:3-4

"He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!"

Deuteronomy 32:4



For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.
Jeremiah 29:11



Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything"
James 1:3-4


"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."
Romans 10:17




"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
2 Corinthians 4:18

2 comments:

Kami said...

Thanks so much for this post. You have reminded me that our strength as we wait in this adoption comes from the Lord. We can not put our hope in anyone. Not our agency, not ourselves, not anyone. Just in the Lord.

Tressa said...

We are still and will always be - praying for your little Liberian to come home.