waiting: month two (take two)

Today marks two months since we accepted the referral for "J".

We are a tad bit closer to bringing him home. We learned on June 7th there were "errors" on our Consent to Adopt form and it was re-filed. We might already be in the midst of the first 30 day waiting period but the power has been shut off in Kinshasa so communicating with our in-country attorney has been difficult. We're hoping by the time he is able to call the US staff we will already be a week or two into the wait!


The best thing that has happened since I-don't-know-what (I wish I could come up with something clever but the children have leeched out most of my brain cells.) - this week we received FIVE photos and a 40 second video clip of "J"!

This blessing highlights one of the coolest things about adoption: community. 

A woman I am friends with on Facebook, but have never met, or even talked to in real life, sent me a message last month. She said she would be travelling to Kinshasa and would I like for her to visit "J", take some photos and video and deliver a package. UHMM, YES PLEASE!

I stuffed all of this into a gallon sized zip lock bag.

Why did this sweet woman choose us? Our little one to visit? 

Simply God's grace on our three year journey ya'll. 

I even asked her why us and she said because I am "so sweet". (Proof that we have never met.)

But seriously, there are probably 100 adopting families on the FB group with kids in Kinshasa and something prompted this sweet lady to bless us.

And bless us she did.

"J" has grown so much! Which is encouraging because most people in the Congo eat one meal a day if they are fortunate. Since his orphanage is in a slum community we assume he eats no more than that. But God is providing the nutrition he needs to grow!

In the video he waves the entire time. That's all, he just waves. For almost 40 seconds. It is the most adorable waving you have ever seen. 


He stops at the end when our sweet FB friend tells him to blow us a kiss. He kisses his hand and then slings it to the ground, almost like he has something gross on his hand and he is trying to fling it off. All. Boy.

I can't tell you how many times we have stared at those pictures or watched that video. Countless times already in just a few days. 

There are a lot of people who don't get it. Won't get it. Will never be able to relate to having a child on the other side of the world who sleeps on the concrete floor at night and eats maybe once a day and has been through more in their few short years than any of us on this side of the ocean could ever imagine. That can be hard, feeling like lots of people don't get it.

But, there are plenty of people who do. The adoption community is LARGE and caring and willing to be there in the difficult waiting and the countless fund raisers and continuous prayer requests. They get it. We get it.

Adoption is not for everyone but, if it is for you, you're joining an amazing group of people who will take time out of their trip on the other side of the world to bless you with five photos, 40 seconds of video and HOPE.