Please Pray

Hey, just blogging to ask everyone to please join us in prayer for the month of March.  Like I said in my last post, I can't give lots of information, we've been asked not to for the time being.  However, there is potential that March could be a very significant month for our family.  As we have learned over this last year, it could very well be nothing and the wait continues, however, based on what our coordinator told us we need to be praying.  Of course we will be sure to keep you posted as things unfold.  Thank you everyone!!

Progress

There's not much I can tell you because I'm not allowed to give details.  However, I can tell you that progress is being made.  We had a conference call with our coordinator and all the families adopting from Haiti or at least considering it.  The call was very informative and answered a lot of questions for us.  One thing I have learned is that these changes IBESR (social services in Haiti) are making in the adoption process is designed to protect children from human trafficking, which we support whole heartedly.  This delay in our journey is worth it if it means protection of these innocent children. Adoptions will continue and all I can say is that we received some very positive news in regards to our process.  We are very encouraged and excited and continue to wait on Gods perfect timing.

1 Sam. 1:27

For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to Him.

Please continue to pray this very special little child home to us.  Thank you!

A Mountain Crumbles!

I almost can't believe I'm writing this for the waiting seems to never end.  We received word today that our agency has been chosen by IBESR (Haiti's Social Services)!!  We are so thrilled and so thankful to the Lord for crumbling this mountain!  I have been holding this in since 3:30 this afternoon because I wanted to tell Nate first.  I felt it necessary because I cannot imagine walking this journey with any one else.....he has been so amazing, so supportive of my roller coaster feelings, my rock. My absolute best friend and has shepherded my heart when I waiver spiritually by always pointing me to my Saviour.  God has richly blessed me with this man. 

There is still a long road ahead.   Now we wait for a referral.  Once we get one and accept it we will travel probably within the month of the referral (not exactly sure on this one but it sounds right).  Then we come home, without our child :(, and wait for him to move out of IBESR.  This process could take months and months, it just depends on his situation and paperwork and such.  Every case is different so it is so hard to predict the outcome.  For tonight, however, we celebrate this victory and dance on top of the mountain's remains and thank our Heavenly Father.

Keep those prayers coming!  Thank you.

Yep, We're Still Here

I know things have been quiet here on this blog, but believe me stuff is happening.  Haiti is changing some things about how they handle adoptions, which is good in the long run because it will basically prevent children from being trafficked.  I'm not going to go through exactly what these changes are, I barely understand them myself so I will spare you the details.  I will share that Haiti is in the process of choosing which American adoption agencies they will continue to use, only about 4 or 5.  We are waiting to see, hopefully sometime this week, if All Blessings is chosen.

What this means is, if ABI is chosen we can proceed with our adoption.....super exciting!  If they are not chosen, our paperwork will then be transferred to an agency that has been chosen and we can move forward with them, also exciting but I really love our agency and our coordinator....she's amazing and I'll be so sad if she can't do the referral for us.  

Some good news is that we have enough money to move forward with one child (YAY!!! Thank you God!!) and since things are a little on the rocky side with Haitian adoptions we feel we better make a move now rather than wait indefinitely.  Hey, you never know, there could be another little one somewhere out there in this great big world needing us!  Buuuut, we have a long way to go before we even entertain that thought some more! :)  

Prayer requests:

1. That we hear sometime this week (we were told we should know at the beginning of Nov.) if ABI has been chosen.

2. That we can get our referral before the end of the year.  I think my heart may break over this waiting, it's getting harder and harder.  :/  My kids are fed up too!  They've been praying him home for Christmas, which at this point will require a miracle! 

Thanks everyone! 

Gourmet Italian Dinner Fundraiser

There is going to be an Italian Dinner Fundraiser at our church, Hillside Chapel in Beavercreek, Ohio on October 7, 2012.  While we have successfully raised close to $10,000 ($4000 of which is from a Show Hope grant, which we cannot use for the international fee, it's to be used for travel time) we still need so much more.  Remember, we feel that God is leading us to adopt a sibling group......sibling groups do not move out of the orphanage as quickly as one child.  They also, almost always include an older child....who also does not move out as quickly.  I know from past experiences that we could be wrong on what God wants for us, but this is a desire that has been put into our hearts so we will continue to work our butts off for two precious ones.  

Simply put, we need a miracle.  Getting the additional $22,000 seems impossible to our human minds, but NOTHING is impossible with God, Luke 1:37.  I know we have asked so much of you, like donating, sharing links on Facebook and getting the word out to people in your circles, but please remember that you are not giving the Warners money.  You are helping the orphan, and our Heavenly Father loves the orphan, so please consider joining us for dinner, Oct. 7th. and being a part of God's call to help the orphan.

Psalm 68:5-6a
A father to the fatherless, a defender of the widows, is God in his holy dwelling.  God sets the lonely in families,

Will you help us, in any way you can, bring home two children who desperately need a family?  We are on a mission, but we cannot do this alone.  Pray with us for a miracle.  Our goal is to be matched with two children before Christmas, since having all the money and being matched prior to Oct 1st is obviously not going to work out now.  Just a reminder, we cannot be matched until we are ready to submit the international fee of $14000/child.  This is NOT an adoption agency fee, this is required by the country of Haiti.  We have spent $10,000 of our own money (with the exception of about $2000 in donations) and have raised $9800.....we are exhausting all options, humanly speaking, so pray.  

Also, be in prayer for social services in Haiti (IBESR) as they are still implementing some changes in how they handle adoption cases.  Our family coordinator is traveling to Haiti in a couple of days to be able to attend a meeting.  Pray that we don't have any hang ups in our process because of the changes and we can still meet our goal to have the money and be matched by Christmas.

I know it's a lot to take in, but this is serious business and we need your help.  Thank you.

http://www.hillsidecma.org/#/events/gourmet-italian-dinner

Climbing This Steep Mountain

International adoption is a lot like climbing a very steep mountain.  You know the mountain is huge and will take a while to get to the top but since you know what glorious view awaits you, you choose to start climbing anyway.  It's rough at first, especially if you've never done this before but you learn quickly to take it easy and work hard.  Once you start getting a feel for the climb you become more confident and before you know it you are making headway, gaining ground and getting closer.  Just as you start getting excited at the thought of being closer than ever and you are almost done,  your foot slips, what you thought would be a great help in your climb ended up being an unstable rock and it gives way.  Before you know it, you've fallen back, lose momentum and several feet.  Discouraged and bruised, still thinking of that glorious view, you get back up and start again.  You experience the same feelings of discouragement and excitement, slip and fall over and over, and it feels as if you'll never make it.  You are exhausted, battered and still determined.  You can't help but feel discouraged and even lonely at times.  You get back up and keep trying, keep pressing on.  Just when you think you are going to fall, there, right before you, are some stable places to firmly plant your feet and you gain momentum and get further than you have before, thankful for the help.

Good News

Once again, we have been quiet on this blog.  Not a whole lot has been happening, just a lot of waiting.  IBESR (social services in Haiti) has been going through some changes and as a result they temporarily stopped accepting dossiers.  The news was a little troubling and unsettling, but that's just how it is with international adoption.  We were told that they would re-open on August 1st but then got the news that it wasn't going to be until sometime in September.  Bummer.  We were starting to get a bit nervous because the news was so vague and who knew if they would re-open or just stayed closed indefinitely.  

On another note, we are very excited to say that we have about $9,600 raised!  Give1Save1 was such a blessing to us.....what an incredibly fun and encouraging week we had!  Thank you again to all of you who helped get the word out and for those of you who gave.  We still need that $28,000 in place to be matched.  

Okay, so here's the good news.  We just received word this morning that IBESR is once again accepting dossiers starting THIS THURSDAY!!!!  We are so excited, but now in even more of a hurry.  We need prayer warriors to join us as we pray for the following:

1. For a miracle.  For the rest of the money to come quickly so we can be matched and get our dossier in....PRONTO!!  Because even if IBESR closes again we can still complete our adoption if we've been matched and the dossier has been approved.

2. For IBESR to remain open not just for us and our sweet kiddos, but for all the other kids that are waiting for their families!  It's hard to think of all those children in an orphanage with no hope of being matched with a family, just because of the inconsistencies in international adoption and the Haitian government.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and please, we ask for prayers, for our God to move mountains.  There is so much peace in knowing that our God can do this..........if our God is for us, then who can be against us?  AMEN!!