ANSWERED PRAYERS

Today, we are celebrating and rejoicing in the faithfulness and steadfastness of God and answered prayers!  A few weeks ago, we asked for specific prayers for our birth mother to make it to at least 36 weeks before she had the baby.  Today she is 36 weeks!!  We are so thankful for each prayer that was said and for a God who hears and cares about those prayers!  He has proven himself so faithful through this journey, it makes me wonder why I ever doubt in the moments of so much unknown...because even in those moments when I don't have a clue what is around the bend...He does and that is all I need to know.

 

 

UPDATE + PRAYER REQUESTS

The last few weeks have been busy and full of excitement!  From talking about baby names with the kids, to buying diapers and preparing for Baby H, to talking with our birth mother for the first time!

 

My first conversation with the birth mother went very well.  We talked for over an hour and connected quickly.  She did have some news that we were unaware of, and it came as a bit of a surprise.  Without going into too much detail, we found out there is a good chance Baby H could be making his appearance a few weeks early.  While we are super excited to meet him and have him home in our arms, the thought of a possible extended stay at the hospital and being away from home for so long at the beginning of the school year for G + Q makes for one anxious Momma.  Not to mention the fact that our son will be born much healthier and stronger if he can stay in his birth momma's womb for a few weeks longer!

 

(Our first look at Baby H!)

 

We have relied on prayer so much through this whole process and now, more than ever, I feel an urgency to pray very specific prayers for our son.  We believe that God is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20) and know that He hears and answers prayers!  So, we are humbly asking you to consider joining us in praying for our baby boy.

 

Some specific things we are praying....

 

-For God to put a hedge of protection around our son and keep Him safe and sound in his  birth mother's womb until at least 36 weeks.

 

-For the birth mother to remain steadfast in her decision to place her baby with us, and for peace about that choice.

 

-For God to prepare our hearts and G + Q's hearts as we bring our little one home, that bonding will happen quickly and our son will always know he is loved.

 

-For trust in God's plan and purposes, no matter how the next few months play out.
 

-For all the details to fall into place....we know God is orchestrating it all!

 

-For God to be glorified in the last few months as He brings this journey to completion.

 

-For provision in these last few months of fundraising.  We have been so blessed by so many people who have given so generously toward our adoption.  The cost of adoption just might be the worst part of the process, but we know God has brought us here and that He will provide!  If you would like to give toward the cost of bringing Baby H home, you can donate here:
 

https://www.adopttogether.org/hisgloryourjoy
 

And know that we are beyond grateful for donations of any amount!
 



IT'S A.....BABY!!!

We have been bursting at the seams to make this announcement!  Last Monday evening, we got a call from our consultant.  We had presented to a birthmother the week before and were waiting to hear if she had picked our family.  I don't remember much about the call other than our consultant saying "This is the call we have been waiting for!!"  We have been matched! 

 

Our BABY BOY is due October 2nd! 

 

We could not be more excited and are thanking God for leading us to our baby!  He has made his presence known so clearly in this process and we are so, so thankful for the entire thing...the waiting has been incredibly hard at times, but it has brought with it so many opportunities to lean fully on Him and His strength, to teach our children love and patience and the power of prayer, and to watch God work in all the little details.

I realized the other day that baby boy's due date is almost exactly 9 months from when we started with Christian Adoption Consultants.  I love how God works out little details like that.  And now, suddenly, it seems like I am 6 months pregnant...minus swollen ankles and jokes about me accidentally swallowing a watermelon.  Really though, there is always a loss in adoption and I have been feeling that now that we know our baby is on the way.  I don't get to feel him kicking and moving.  Grant and Quincey don't get to talk to their baby brother through mom's belly and Eddy doesn't get to give me a foot massage every night and put my shoes on for me in the morning because I can't reach.  He might not mind that loss at all! 

 

BUT...we do get to love our baby with all our hearts from a distance...we get to pray for him and his birth mother every single day.  We get to tell him that we chose to love him from the day we knew about him.  We get to, with God's help and strength, live out a gospel picture of what He did for us when He adopted us as His sons and daughters.  And we are so excited for all of it!

 

 

Along with this exciting news, came a reminder that we have not yet reached our goals for funds for this adoption.  We have been so, so blessed and humbled by the willingness and excitement of our friends and family who have supported us through prayer, encouragement and donations during this process.  We have seen God work through people to provide so much more in so many ways than we could have imagined.  We have a few weeks to come up with the rest of the funds.  We are brainstorming some fundraiser ideas, and have also set up a profile on Adopt Together (link to our profile).  This is a non-profit, crowd-funding platform that bridges the gap between families who want to adopt and the children who need loving homes.  We encourage you to watch their video (link to video) explaining how it began and how you can contribute.  If you feel led to give a donation of any amount, we would be so grateful!
 

 

We also would love support through prayer!  We have relied on the prayers of so many people and we don't want to stop now!  Please be praying for our son...for safety and health as he grows.  Pray for his birth mother...for peace in her decision and for wisdom.  Pray for Eddy and I and Grant and Quincey as we prepare to bring our little guy home!  We have been so excited to share this news with all of you, knowing that so many people have played a huge part in this journey.  We plan to blog weekly from here on out with prayer requests, news and updates on financial needs.

 

Today Is Mother's Day

Today...

Eddy was up and gone for work before the kids and I had even budged an inch in our beds.  Every other year, he gets the kids excited for making a big breakfast for me to eat in bed that comes with my favorite handmade cards.  They apparently plotted and planned a little earlier this year since Eddy wouldn't be home.  I woke up to Grant (he was super excited for "The Plan") telling me I had to stay in bed.  I heard him go wake his sister up and over the next hour, they made me toast with approximately half a stick of butter on it, went outside and picked flowers, made me cards, cleaned up their rooms and made me a comfy bed on the couch and turned Little House on the Prairie on (they know me well).  It was completely different than past years that usually included waffles and strawberries and big bouquets, and I loved every minute of it.  I am so blessed that those two kids call me their mom.  They are two of the greatest gifts I have ever been given and I couldn't love them more.

 

Today...

because of this overwhelming love I have for my children, our third child's First Mama was on my mind a lot.  I think about her every day, but today, with all of the extra attention on moms, my thoughts wandered to her often.  I have no idea if she is expecting her baby yet.  Maybe she knows and is trying to make that life changing, selfless decision to make an adoption plan and put her baby's needs before her own.  Wherever she is at, and if she knows about the little life that she is/will carry, what does Mother's Day look like for her?  There is always a loss in adoption....will she feel that loss every year on this day?  Will she question her choice?  Will she wonder what it would have been like to be called mom?  I pray she knows that in her decision to place her child into a loving family, she made the best, most motherly, loving decision she could make and that is reason to celebrate her as a wonderful mother.  I don't know what our birth mother's life and circumstances will be and what the reasons for adoption will be, but God does.  He is orchestrating the whole journey and knows the beginning, middle and end.  I know He has a plan and purpose for our unborn child, their birth mother, and our family in all of it.  I pray He will be glorified and made much of through it.

 

Today...

just like the last three Mother's Days that have past, my heart aches to meet our third child.  I just got done saying I know God has a plan and purpose, and I know that His plans and purposes are far bigger and better than my dreams are.  But, it doesn't make it easy...this wait is hard.  So, so hard.  I love that it puts me in a place where I am completely and totally dependent on Him.  It's still hard.  But He didn't lead us to adoption because it would be an easy, smooth path.  He brought us on this path to glorify Himself, change our hearts and teach us things about Himself that we probably never would have known otherwise.  As the time gets longer and longer, I do wonder how much more He has for me/us in this wait, because, I'm not going to lie...most of the time I am just sick and tired of waiting...I want my baby home.  I want to know they are safe.  I want to be done with paperwork.  I want, I want, I want.  But because none of this life is about me, I realize that all of those wants are me-centered and have nothing to do with God's plans for my life.  They are all about my dreams, plans and comfort.  And I desire to have His plans as my top priority and focus in my life.

 

Today...

I desperately want our baby home.  I can hardly wait to see G & Q love on their baby brother or sister and watch Eddy care for his newborn baby.  I am so ready for that amazing newborn smell and tiny clothes and learning all about our third child...memorizing their face, knowing their routine and teaching and loving them.  But I also know that God has a plan that I can trust without hesitation or question.  He already has our baby's face memorized.  He already knows everything about them.  Just like he already knew G & Q before we ever knew about them.  So until His plans and His timing come to bless us with our sweet third child, I know he/she is good hands.  I know God is watching over our baby's First Momma...He loves her and has a plan for her.  He is so good to care and watch over us...seeing every last detail of our lives.  My prayer today is that our birth mother will know that love He has for her.  I pray she responds to that love and gets to experience being adopted as a daughter of our Heavenly Father...a perfect picture of love and sacrifice.  I pray she knows that the choice she is making for her baby reflects that love.

 

Today...

I am so thankful God has made me a mother.  I am blessed each and every day by my children.  Today I am thankful that God is faithful and sovereign and I can put my full trust in Him and his plans.  Today I am thankful for our baby's First Momma, wherever she may be.  This is a day to celebrate her and all the other mothers who have made such a hard decision, felt such a great loss...and gave one of the biggest blessings to another Momma.

 

 

HIS GLORY!

Last weekend's online auction fundraiser is finally coming to an end!  After a week of contacting and pick ups and deliveries, we have almost everything done!  It was such a blessing and so much fun seeing our friends and family and many other people who we have never met come together and support us in our adoption process through this fundraiser.  We were completely overwhelmed and humbled by the generosity and donations from so many people.  Truly, we are so, so thankful. 

During the auction, a friend of ours said that only God could take an online auction and make it grow the way it did.  She is so right.  There is no explanation other than Him.  He has used this long adoption process to prove Himself over and over again...and we want to make sure that He is glorified because of who He is and how faithful He is! 

 

 The waiting for our child to come home is not easy.  Every day I remind myself that God has a plan in the wait.  We aren't just waiting for a baby...we are waiting for our baby.  So, I ask myself, "What is the purpose in the wait....because I know God has one."  I have found purpose in all the birth mother situations we have been presented with.  I don't want to just read through these situations and forget about them if it isn't "the one" for us.  I want to pray for these birth moms and these babies.  I want to remember their names and cover them in prayer...because who knows if they would be prayed for otherwise, and because this may be the one reason God is bringing so many situations our way before we are matched.  I want to be diligent in my prayer for each of them.

 

I've also realized that this whole waiting thing makes me see just how little control I have and just how much God is in control of everything.  That's a good place to be.  A  hard place to be at times, but so good.  I am having to constantly give up my false sense of control and I am thankful for that.

 

I've also learned to embrace this waiting period because of the amazing opportunities it gives Eddy and I as parents to teach our kids.  When they ask "Why does it cost so much money to bring our brother or sister home?"  and "Why is it taking so long?", it can be pretty difficult to answer those questions, because really, why does it cost so much money?  But the answer for why it is taking so long...because God has a plan and we don't have to understand everything.  Through our fundraisers, I have also watched them wrap their little minds around just how much other people are selflessly giving to us to make this adoption happen.  What an awesome example for them to see how to walk out being the hands and feet of Christ!

 

Through the waiting and through the fundraisers, Eddy and I both have repeatedly had to lay down our pride.  God has humbled us so much in so many ways through this whole thing.  When He puts you in a place that you just know you can't do it without Him working mightily on your behalf, get ready to be humbled and amazed at what He can and will do!

 

I know a lot of you have been waiting to hear how much closer the auction got us to our goal.  And we are so excited to share it with you all because, good grief, aside from God and all of you amazing people, this wouldn't have happened!  We were expecting the auction to get us about $3,000-$4,000 closer to our goal of approximately $35,000.  We are so thankful for God's faithfulness and provision in this process and we want to make much of Him because it really is all about His glory!

 

 

 

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:19

 

 

ONLINE AUCTION ADOPTION FUNDRAISER

We started receiving birth mother situations this week.  The feeling I got when we received the first one was a mixture of total excitement, a little nervousness, a little scared and completely overwhelmed.  We are so happy to be at this point in the adoption process!  It seems like its been years...oh wait...it has been years...since we started this whole thing.  Getting an email about a birth mother situation made it suddenly feel so very real, which is wonderful.  Another very real aspect of the process is the financial end of things.  We are still very much in need of some more mullah to bring our sweet child home.  After contemplating and throwing around some ideas, we decided to have an online adoption auction next month.

 

 

 

 

We have seen a few of these auctions and they always seem to be a success.  We are praying that God will use this fundraiser to get us much closer to bring the littlest Hostetler home.  If you feel led to donate an item or a service to be auctioned off, please let us know!  The items do not have to be new, but we ask that they are in good condition and it can be ANYTHING that you think someone else might want.

 

We are so thankful that God is allowing us to be a small part of His big plans and so blessed by so many people wanting to be a part of it as well!  Asking for help is not something that either Eddy or I like to do.  It seems God has put us in a situation to help us grow in that area!  We fully trust that He can and will provide...because He who called us is faithful.

 

He doesn't need us, but He invites us to be a part of His plan.

 

I don't think His plan is just to raise money for our adoption.  I think part of His plan is to allow others to "help orphans in distress".  I think most of His plan is to show His power, prove His faithfulness and be glorified because of it.

 

 

 

 

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21