Around 10 years ago...

God gave me the desire to adopt. I remember in college telling some of my friends I was going to adopt a little black baby. This desire remained in me through school and I remember talking to Roger before we were married a few times about the desire to adopt. He never shot me down. Looking back, I think subconciously I believed this would probably never be a reality but more of something I'd just talk about. The only adoptions I knew were those who had fertility problems. And did I really want this?

So anyway...Roger and I made our plans that we would have 3 or 4 biological children and then we'd adopt our last child. Child number 1 came pretty much like we planned. She wasn't anything like we planned, but she did come in our timeline. Then pregnancy #2 came at a great time we thought. Thank you God for going along with our American family dream. And as you know I miscarried 3 months later. Wait...that wasn't part of the plan. Roger and I had several discussions at this time questioning if maybe we should adopt now. (This was around 3 months ago.) We decided to go along with the plan of biological children. But the whole time, I wasn't settled with it. God kept using scripture, people, and circumstances that made me question if we were being obedient to God. BUT I contined to go along with what seemed to make sense to me...biological children now. This past month I definitely had figured out my ovulation time, we were going to get pregnant and then what...I started menstrating the next day??? Still haven't figured this one out.

So all of this leads to the decision we've now made...ADOPTION...and NOW! God has called Roger and I to take care of the orphans and poor. And He's convicted me that He didn't ask me to do it in 7-10 years, but now. His plans are not our plans, nor His ways our ways. It doesn't make sense financially or in so many other ways, but we're okay with that. Will it drastically change our life? Yes! Will it be comfortable? No. Looking back now, I see so many circumstances that has gotten us to this point and I feel confident that this is where God is calling us as a family. (And just to set this straight, we are not doing this because we feel like we can't have biological children. I do believe that we still may have more children in this way.)

So what now? Yesterday we filled out the paper work for initial application and today I mail it with the first $250. No turning back. And now to answer the question I know many (or the few readers I have) of you are asking...where? Uganda. Some research and other experienced adoptive parents led me to Lifeline Adoption Agency. I've always had the desire to adopt from Africa. Probably due to media, but when I picture my children I see the homeless, hungry orphans in Africa. Uganda happens to be the country that this agency uses. Uganda also happens to be a more affordable country to adopt from and the process is shorter as well! And now to reveal perhaps the biggest excitement....we want siblings...2 or 3! The timeline shows an average of 9-12 months. CRAZY...in 9-12 months our family may grow from three to five or six! I can't wait to see how God continues to reveal His plan to us! We also ask for prayer as we know we will SOON be experiencing some of this uncomfortableness and craziness that will accompany us in following His will. But oh the joy and, finally, peace in making this decision!