More News.

We heard from our social worker today. She spoke with the twins social worker. There is one last uncle they are checking with to see if he wants the twins but they believe that soon they will be on the road to adoption. The law here states for a child to be adoptable they must first track down family to the fourth degree to see if they want them...that means a child might have been placed with a family for several years and they decide to adopt the child...they would still have to get the family to the fourth degree to sign off their rights to that child and if someone wanted them even though you had raised the child for several years...that family member could come in and take the child and that is supposedly in the best interest of the child.
So, our social worker thinks it looks hopeful and is willing to pursue this. She told their social worker that we will recieve our atestare (which is basically a piece of paper stating we are accepted to adopt) in 2 weeks. Gabi, our sw, will come make one final visit next Thursday. Which means we will get our atestare just after our planned visit with them, which means we can't put in any papers on that visit but hopefully we will go back soon. Another thing that is good news is that they will consider urgent placement with us to make things move faster as far as getting them placed with us. I am expecting miracles...I really really want them by their birthday, April 22 which would be an absolute act of God if that happened that quickly! Thanks for caring and thanks for praying.

More Good News...

We are going to visit the twins in 2 weeks...I hate waiting but I guess that 2 weeks isn't that long! The other news I got today was that their adoption should be pretty cut and dry. The laws here proclaim that being with blood family is always best so normally they go hunting down aunts, uncles, grandparents, great aunts etc to the fourth degree to find a family member to take in kids. I was told by the twins social worker that because there is no father listed on the birth certificates and the mother is deceased that they will be proclaimed adoptable after their first court date. So our biggest prayer is that we can get court dates assigned very soon!! We will be put in with their paper work by their social worker as a match then we have to get a court date to get them placed with us. The hardest part is waiting. We still haven't spoken with our social worker and are trying to get a hold of her but I am pretty sure all lights are green at this point. I will post pictures after we visit with them in 2 weeks!! Keep praying for God's grace and favor with all the court dates and that the judges will make quick and wise decisions!

Adoption update

Well, we are excitedly awaiting to know if these twins are God's plan for our family! We have been approved to adopt and are supposed to receive the official paper next week. Most people after approval wait years to get their child b/c most people want newborns and they are hardly ever declared adoptable as newborns. We decided to go for siblings b/c they are the hardest to place since no one wants 2 at a time and it will involve much less waiting. Well, several weeks ago I called a young lady, an American living about 5 hours away from where we live. A friend had given me her number. She is adopting a little boy. So, we chatted and she mentioned these twins but at the time she just said she wished they could be adopted. She called me again yesterday and told me she spoke with their social worker and they are being put up for adoption...they had been abandoned at birth and the mom had always wanted to try and get them back but never managed...well she died recently and now they are being put up for adoption and Cari immediately thought of us. She told the social worker about us and the social worker was also excited. It is always helpful when the people involved in the children's lives want them to be adopted so we are really praying that this is of God.
They are a boy and a girl and they will be 4 in April. I have pictures of them already but don't want to post them until we know for sure they will be ours. The social worker even told me that she would wait to file their paper work until we had our paper work to be sure that no one else got them so it is really looking in our favor. Now, we meet with our social woker this week and pray she is in accord with making the 5 hour trip to see the twins and do what is necessary to have them placed with us.

Praise

It looks like the little girl we thought had TB doesn't have it after all. They are still waiting for a diagnosis to be confirmed so please pray for them. So, we are thankful that it looks like we weren't exposed after all!

Demolition.

My mother in law can't seem to see the pictures on facebook so I am posting the demolition pictures here...The beginnin of the end for the old junk building right next to our house...woo hoo!

Adoption update

The adoption process either turns you into a very frustrated person or teaches you to wait on the Lord! I don't think adoption is easy in any country. I am really not anxious except anxious to meet our new little one. God has already picked her out and so we don't have to worry. We have one more meeting with the social worker tomorrow and then should be officially accepted as adoptive parents. We have to drive to her and Baron is not feeling good so I pray he sleeps well tonight and feels better tomorrow.
On March 1, we drive about 3 1/2 hours away to Beius where some Christian Romanians are in charge of about 40 orphans ages 3 to 13. They are excited about the possibility of one of theirs being adopted and will be good people to work with so we are praying that God works this out and this is where we will find our little girl...or boy if that is what God wants. At this point there is just much anticipation as time seems to tick by slowly!
Continue to pray for wisdom. There are so many directions we could go in with this.

This weeks prayer request.

I thought I would try to weekly keep you updated on prayer requests.

1. We may have been exposed to TB so keep that in your prayers. (the whole family)
2. We have our first activity next Friday with the kids/orphans at the mentally handicapped facility.
3. Loredana turns 4 on Monday. Pray that she will grow up to see God's love in spite of the environment she is being raise in.
4. Pray for Angelo as he prepares to be baptized in the spring. Pray also for his girlfriend Marcela to get saved.
5. A Huge praise...we had a very good month as far as giving so we were able to put some into savings for our roof!
6. Pray for Josh and Laurel Louk to raise support quickly.
7. Pray for our Evangelistic services coming up in 2 weeks. Our people are excited to be inviting their friends and family who aren't saved.

My Quiet Year

Well, my quiet year is coming to a close. I know it is only February but my quite little world is crashing down around me and you know what...I am looking forward to the chaos. God has quieted my heart this year and taught me to enjoy the stillness. He has also taught me how important it is to have stillness even in the midst of chaos! So, you may wonder, what do you mean your quiet year is coming to a close. Well, for 5 years I have had a Romanian helper. A young lady named Ramona was a God send to me. She helped me with house work once a week and baby sat so I could go grocery shopping, get visas, and do all that not so fun stuff without having to tote boys along. I knew her time of working for me was coming to a close. She needed to move on to bigger and better things since she finished school. She is going to Italy for a few months to be nanny full time and save money to take exams and get a license to practice in her field over here. She left last Friday. So, it is back to full time housework (I know you all aren't feeling too sorry for me :) ). I look at it as a way of gaining a little money that we've been asking God for. Also, last year and this year I have been blessed to have a teacher here schooling my boys. This year they are going to her place for school. So, 2 boys down 2 to go. We sent boy #3 to Romanian kindergarten this year to learn the language and come out of his shell a little. So, I was left with one little guy. What fun. I have had much time to rest in God and rest in the stillness and quiet myself and learn about God this year. I have learned much about worship and being consumed with God Himself not just with what He can do for me. I have also learned the importance of being still before Him. I believe that next year I will be homeschooling the boys again and God has shown me the importance of not putting off my time with Him. I have gained so much encouragement and strength and insight this past year in my quiet times with God. Now my prayer is that when the busy overwhelming challenges come, to be reminded to cast all my cares on Him, to come to Him with my burdens, to be anxious for nothing, to find rest in God alone!
I am thankful for this year of rest God has given me. I am excited about the hustle and bustle starting up again (ask me if I am still excited next September :) ).
One gift from God to help me with this transition is this: A dear friend from a long time ago is coming in July or August and staying through February. Her husband is going to Iraq for a year so she decided to come here and hang out with me. Just like God to say even before the hustle and bustle arrives..."Joyce, I'm sending a little something your way to help ease you through the transition phase...remember don't worry, I'm in control."
Oh yeah plus the little addition of a Howerton, that will be no small adjustment. It will be a good challenge though. I am really looking forward to meeting the child God designed especially to fit into our home. We should be approved this week and then the hunt for the child is on!
I hope that you are finding joy in the little quiet moments...though they may be short quiet moments...thought they may be few and far between...hide a verse in your ehart during your 5 minutes of peace.