Congo 2012

Today is the 12th! We are thankful for you who are joining us as we fast and pray today for God to bring our little boy home ASAP.

To be honest, we don't expect it to happen in 2012. It could. But we don't expect it anymore.

I'm thinking of maybe changing the name of our little "campaign" (and doing a better job of getting the word our there) but we are going to stick with the 12 theme since this is the year we saw our little Moses' face for the first time. (And, random factoid, it was my basketball number in junior high and high school. I have an emotional attachment to the number twelve.)


Please pray Moses would be protected - physically and spiritually.

Pray that his little body would stay healthy.

Pray that his food would give him the nutrition he needs.

Pray for his caretakers, that they would be kind and loving.

Pray for our attorney, that he would be timely, diligent and communicative.

Pray for our agency, that they would not grow weary in their labor for the children of the DRC.

If you'd like one of these little cards for your fridge, car, favorite book, etc. please email your physical address to wordfromthewallaces AT gmail DOT com

waiting: month 4

Well, another month has come and gone.

We are a teeny tiny bit closer to bringing "J" home. Our Consent to Adopt was signed and we are now waiting for the first judgement - the Judgement Suppletif - to be applied for. Please join us in praying this happens quickly.

Filing for the first judgement is step number four of 25. 25 is when we travel. (Insert insomnia and sobbing here)

A few months ago I came across DRC Adoption Services. One of the services they offer is visiting your child in the orphanage, taking a few photos, measuring and weighing them, observing them, etc. We decided that these visits are well worth fee of $40 and have since signed up to have DRC Adoption Services visit "J" monthly.

We received our first "report" this past month and it was worth $4,000. First, the photos. Oh my heart I wish I could share them with you! For the first time, we saw "J" smile! It was just as amazing as the first time Moses and Meadow smiled at us. (You know, a real smile, not an "I just passed newborn gas" kinda smile.)

His whole face lights up when he is smiling. He looks like a different kiddo altogether. Don't worry, it is the same kid:-)

Then the report.

First I read his height and weight and, although it is in kilograms and centimeters, realize with some quick math that he is taller and weighs more than Moses. Who is supposedly 1 1/2 years older than him. Hmmmm. Confirmation of what we already suspected.He is not two going on three. He is three going on four. At least. We're ok with that.

Then I read the next sentence: "J" is called "Moise" or Moses and goes by the name Moses. What the what?!

Moses?! Another Moses?

We knew "J" was his orphanage name, assigned to him when he came into care, and we assumed that when he was found by the authorities he was too young to know or verbalize his name.

Turns out we were wrong. He knows his name.

Yep. Another Moses. 

We let it sink in for about 24 hours and came the the conclusion that we will have two Moses'.

In the words of Moses Radio Wallace "It won't be confusing. When you say 'Moses' you will just get two Moses'."

We adults complicate things don't we?

UPDATE on the UPDATE

Thank you so much for your prayers!

Just a quick update on the prayer request...

The boys are with us. They are safe. They are fast asleep.

We don't know what will happen next. I would like to say we are getting use to that feeling. We are not.

Zephaniah 3:16 and 17 has been my mantra today...

On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
"Fear not, O Zion;
let not your hands grow weak.
The Lord your God is in your midst,

a mighty one who will save;

he will rejoice over you with gladness;

he will quiet you by his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing.

UPDATE on the spilled beans...

I shared a few weeks ago about our involvement with the Safe Families program and the unlikely direction our first placement took. THANK YOU to everyone who has prayed for the boys. Your prayers have surely kept them safe in the past 3 weeks!

I should admit I was initially hesitant to spill the beans in this space. I want to protect the privacy of the boys and of their mother. In the end I decided your prayers were more important to their well being, vital even, than it was for me to keep certain information private.

Tonight, I have decided the same thing. Your prayers are vital so I am coming to you again, asking that you be on your knees for our "extra boys".

Tonight the boys are with their grandfather who, as I said before, is a wonderful caring man. He cannot care for them long term but tonight they are safe.

They came to be with him through a difficult and heartbreaking set of circumstances. Where they will be tomorrow we do not know. Their options are limited. We feel like surely something will happen soon. There must be a breaking point, right?!

First, praise the Lord that He protected them during this time! 

Pray for their mother. The Lord knows her name, her heart and what she needs.

Pray for the boys grandfather as he communicates with her about next steps. 

Pray for T and M. Pray that the Lord would continue to guard their hearts. 

Pray that the reality of this situation would come into light quickly and that they would be removed from it. Pray for those involved in that process.  

Pray for us. I just found out the latest details a little while ago but have been extremely uneasy, anxious and upset today. Pray that my hope and trust would be in the Lord and not in what I can't control.

I am so thankful for each of you!

wait on the Lord

"Wait" is a four letter word for prospective adoptive parents isn't it?

There are few things that offer respite from the pangs of waiting. Seeing pictures of your soon-to-be kiddo is one thing. Getting good news about forward movement in your process is another.

Nothing, hear me - NOTHING, can fill the hole in our hearts like the Word. I was encouraged by this excerpt from the devotional "Experiencing God Day By Day" and expect you will be too.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and courageous. Wait for the Lord! - Psalm 27:14

Waiting is one of the hardest things to do. We want to be people of action. We feel better if we are doing something to address our need, but waiting forces us to rely on God. David learned what it meant to wait. He was chosen by God to be the next King of Israel, then spent years waiting for the day God's Word would come to pass in his life. As he waited, a paranoid, egocentric king occupied the throne that had been promised to him. David spent his time hiding in caves and living among his enemies. As he waited he saw good friends murdered and his family possessions taken. He saw Israel's enemies wreak havoc on his nation. Perhaps no one ever faced greater adversity while waiting upon God's promise than David did. He certainly understood what it meant to become discouraged and fearful.

But David also enjoyed the reward for waiting upon the Lord. He became the greatest king in Israel's history, and, more importantly, through his trials he became a man after God's own heart.The psalms David wrote during his days as a fugitive have been cherished words of encouragement for millions of people through the ages. Through David's descendants came the Messiah. David's willingness to wait has blessed us all.

Times of waiting on the Lord can be some of the most precious moments in your life (John 11:1-6). If you are waiting on God for something, read Isaiah 40:31 and find encouragement as you wait for Him to fulfill His promises to you.