Crying happy tears

I've found myself crying happy tears several times already today (and it's only 2:00!).

As Jonah and I were driving to Costco this morning I was overwhelmed to the point of tears as I listened to this beautiful song called "I'm Adopted" (on our beloved Slugs & Bugs cd) which I've heard a hundred times before. {You can listen to it online here- the lyrics are wonderful- http://slugsandbugsandlullabies.wordpress.com/2011/11/09/im-adopted/.}
But this morning it brought tears to my eyes as I sang the lyrics, "Love came and found me, wrapped arms around me." I cried happy tears as I thought about how much I want to do this with my 2 children who live across the globe right now. I long to wrap my arms around them and for them to know how loved they are. And I trust and believe that God will do this. He will bring these precious children home to their loving family.

Then happy tears came to my eyes when I thought about the fact that this is exactly what God has done for me in the gospel. He sent His Son to die for my sins so when I repented and believed in Christ alone for my salvation, I would be no longer seperated from God by my sin. In fact, He came and found me. He rescued me out of the pit of my own sin and rebellion and wrapped His loving arms around me. He called me to turn from my sin & run toward Him. He brought me comfort, peace, joy, and forgiveness through the cross of Jesus. I am no longer an orphan trying to "save myself", God has adopted me as his child, and I have full inheritance with Jesus, his true Son. That is a-mazing. And I did nothing special to deserve it. No one does. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9. If you are relying on anything but Jesus's perfect record to know that you will spend eternity with God, then I lovingly urge you to repent (literally means to "turn away") and realize that it is a gift freely given that you can not earn. Put your hope & trust in Jesus Christ alone. Couldn't say it better than Martin Luther does in this quote,

"Irreligious people don't repent at all, and religious people repent only for their sins. But Christians "repent of their righteousness." That is what makes them become Christians- when they repent not just for being bad, but for having tried in so many ways to be good in order to avoid relying on Christ alone for their hope, worth, and salvation."

So back to the happy tears...
As we were heading in Costco Jon called me to tell me that we just got an email from our agency telling us that baby girl has passed the 1st phase of court and should complete the 2nd phase next week!! {In come the happy tears!!} Our baby girl will, God willing, OFFICIALLY be our daughter NEXT WEEK! Praise the Lord!! What sweet news to my ears! One step closer to being able to wrap my loving arms around my kiddos!

Please continue to pray with us for their safety and that the Lord would protect them from any harm, disease, or neglect. And that God would work out all of the final details (travel, 1 or 2 trips, dates, etc) for our children's good, our good, and His GLORY!

Thankful for my adoption into God's family,

Embassy paperwork!

We sent off our paperwork (called an i600) for baby R, now Malachi R., to the US embassy last week!!
We were told the embassy usually takes several weeks to process paperwork, then the Embassy in the DRC will do a background investigation (which could take weeks) and then we could travel to bring him home!!!!!!!
Please pray with us that our baby girl would pass court this week!!! There is a 30 day wait for a no-appeal certificate after she passes court. Pray that her case could be expedited through the embassy so we can bring them both home in one trip very soon!!

We can't wait to show off their beautiful faces! However (for those of you who are curious), we have decided not to post their pictures on the blog for their own safety & protection. We know that exhortion is a big problem in the DRC and do not want to put our children at risk of being kidnapped.

Officially Mommy to 2,

ps- Baby girl is now 6 months old! And Malachi (baby R) is almost 16 months...
Missing my babies.... Trusting that God will bring them home to us in His perfect timing. But asking in faith for that to be very SOON. I know He delights in giving good gifts to His children if we just ask, so we are asking. Daily.

quick prayer update

We have unfortunately not heard ANY news on baby girl's case or on baby R in weeks.
But for any of you out there who still read this & have stuck around all 16 months of our adoption journey thus far, we wanted to let you know how you can specifically be praying with us. {THANK YOU for your support through prayer! It encourages us more than you will probably ever know.}

1. PRAY that we would pass court for baby girl this week!! (Or even that we passed last week and we just don't know it yet!)

2. PRAY that we would get pictures of baby R. We have not gotten a single update (medical info, pictures, or otherwise) in the past 9 months other than being told that he was moved to a different orphanage. He was supposedly moved 2 weeks ago to his new orphanage, so please pray that God would be merciful & let us see his face so we will know he is alive & well!!!

3. PRAY for their continued protection, and that God would uphold their lives and sustain them every single day! We know that every day that an orphan survives in the DRC is a miracle- so we are asking God for daily miracles until the day He finally unites our family!

Praising God for my newest son & praying that baby girl will officially be "ours" soon! And that God would allow us to be united as a family and bring our children home very, very soon!!