Some Blogs To Read This Week

Now that I'm finished with the paperwork I find myself with the "blog bug" all over again. I remember when I was waiting on Libby how many hours I spent reading blogs/sites of families adopting from China and how I stared at all the pics of their children trying to imagine what my daughter might look like.

This week there are a few sites that I want to let some of you know about. The reasons are two-fold. 1. Because if you are praying for us or interested in our journey at all - viewing these blogs will give you some insight on some specifics to be praying over our sweet Aria and give you some idea of what the trip to ET is like (so you can pray for Cristie (my travel mate) and I as well) 2. Because several of these families need prayer like you couldn't imagine. They are facing some serious spiritual warfare and/or health issues with their children that could change their lives.

You can link to each of these blogs by scrolling down and clicking on the family's name.
1. The Kidd Family - they are such a cute family and their daughter Gabrielle is stunningly gorgeous! Great pics! They are in ET right now!

2. The West Family - so adorable! Love their son's cute little self. I just want to hug his little neck! This family is having some paperwork issues in Ethiopia right now. The USCIS sent a paper saying they were approved for a female - which NONE of their paperwork has ever said. Weird! Anyway - it's got to get cleared up fast or they have to stay in ET longer. Yikes!

3. The Gardner Family - Love their very recent blog (they are in ET right now!) post with pics of their first few moments with their kids. They adopted an older sibling group - a girl and a boy - both of which are absolutely beautiful. As the Gardners went into the transitional home the older kids being adopted were waiting at the door and ran to them, hugging and kissing them and within minutes they were calling them mommy and daddy. That will rip your heart out! Just picture your first moment in heaven when you realize that you've really come from a place of nothing in comparison to what heaven has to offer and then you see Jesus who made it all possible. You run to him calling out to him and kiss and hug him over and over - oh yeah -adoption is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!

4. The Cordell Family - Also in ET right now. This couple is in ministry. He is a pastor. She is a home school mom of 2 boys. They are adopting a PRECIOUS baby girl who they are naming Mercy (LOVE THAT!). Before traveling to ET they received a call saying their daughter was in the hospital having trouble breathing and she was not responding to meds. I don't know the whole story, but a diagnosis has been mentioned that the Cordells are not even saying out loud bc their asking Father for healing and hoping that the diagnosis is not right. So - after that traumatic news they packed and headed out to ET. Their flight was delayed due to weather and they missed their flight to ET. They arrived in ET a day late AND on the day they were to meet Mercy for the first time. Can you imagine the exhaustion of jet lag and then meeting your daughter for the first time on the same day. Seriously, that had to be a long, emotionally strained day. On top of all that, they discovered that USCIS sent paperwork with wrong dates making it look like their fingerprints were expired. They are, along with the Wests, trying to frantically get in touch with NC USCIS to get it fixed, but if it's not corrected fast they also will be in ET for several more days than expected and right now they are so exhausted and they miss their 2 boys so much. I know they must be feeling so tired and distraught - all the while wanting to celebrate their sweet daughter being in their arms. What an emotional juggling act. Please pray for this family. They have been on my heart heavily all week. I believe their is a specific spiritual attack on this family. Not sure why, but my heart is seriously burdened for them and their circumstances.

5. Lastly, The Harbaughs. I just caught up with their situation today via their blog. I can't even explain the daughter's plight. They've been home from ET for a month or so. You'll have to go to their blog to read what's going on, but basically she has an infection (most likely tb) on top of a vertebrae and there is no easy way to biopsy it. Most likely they will have to fully open her up - rib cage and all to do the biopsy and then she will still need some major surgeries after that. She is being measured for a back brace right now bc her condition is such that one wrong move, fall and she could be paralyzed from the neck down. I can just feel this family's strength and yet their struggle in trying to process what is happening. They are certainly in need of our prayers.

Click on these families' blogs below and read. You'll be moved, inspired and brought to your knees.

Thank you - Cindy