Let's do this one first - This is going to be the Cliff's Notes version because I don't want this post to be a book...but if you're really interested in the minute details of how this all played out - email me and we'll talk - it really is just another piece of proof of just how involved our Father in Heaven is involved in our seemingly insignificant lives. On May 26th our good friend Emily who was staying at the orphanage on a service mission called to visit with Brandie. She said there was something that had been on her mind she had to visit with her about. Emily had fallen in love with a little girl in the orphanage named "D" and really wanted to bring "D" home with her....but she knew that wasn't the Lord's plan for this little girl. For whatever reason Emily felt she needed to talk with Brandie about D and her little brother C.
Brandie stewed over this for the next day or so, but she couldn't get our dear friends, the Seables out of her mind. She was resistant to the promptings since John had told Brandie back in May of last year (in response to her question if they'd ever want to adopt) "Not only NO, but H@LL NO!" I'm pretty sure he was only 25% kidding! :-)
The days went on and Brandie finally worked up the courage to ask John and Jenny out on a date. After dinner Brandie blurted out what she'd been feeling. To her amazement J & J were more than open...in fact, they both said they've felt they have been being prepared for this. What an amazing night!
Over the next few weeks J & J worked VERY diligently to get all of their paperwork, classes, applications, finances, and family prepared for this life changing experience...the whole time not knowing if these two kids would still be available after all their documentation was submitted. Luckily for them (and D & C) the Lord had long since planned this whole thing out.
I'm still absolutely astounded that now how blessed we are to have Mighty and Agbesi come to our home, but how blessed they (and we) are all going to be by having two of their very close friends coming home to their forever family and live literally less than 5 blocks away. I can only imagine what a strength and comfort it will be for these little guys to be able to draw on something familiar while going through a TON of changes. Just another testimony of how God is in control. Can we really ever say again, "Wow, that's a coincidence!" I promise you'll never hear me use those words again.
Part 2 - Fast forward now to the last week of July/first week of August. We'd decided to take the family on a business/play vacation to Seattle. We took the kids to see all the cool things of a great Northwest city during the day and I'd work durning the early evening.
Tuesday afternoon we'd received an unnerving email from our good friend Anita, the director of our international adoption agency, AAI. She shared with us how the director of our kid's orphanage had come to the knowledge that we were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and didn't know if 'he was comfortable releasing these kids' to us.
Now, before I go on, I want to be clear that Brandie and I think the WORLD of the director. He truly is a man of God who has been blessed with the love of Christ to care for, love, and protect all of his children in his orphanage. I can completely relate and understand with his feelings of doubt and desire to protect his kids. It is obvious now (it was anything from obvious Tuesday night) that he was given some mis-information from someone as to the true nature of our faith. He was basing his thoughts and feelings off those bits of information.
OK, back to Tuesday night. Brandie and I were SICK! I was angry, frustrated, and scared all at the same time. The thought of waiting for over 18 months for these kids and growing to love them and now being faced with the possibility of not being allowed to bring them home because of a misunderstanding weighed heavily on our hearts and mind that night. Needless to say, we didn't get much sleep that night.
Wednesday came with a million thoughts going through our minds. Finally, we decided that I should write the director and tell him our true feelings of Jesus Christ and what we believe. Brandie took the kids to the water park while I stayed back to ponder on what I could possibly tell this man I don't even know that would convince him that 'we're good people'. Then the thought hit me like a ton of rocks, "I can't convince anyone! But I know Someone who can!"
I immediately went into the bathroom (the only quite room in the house), knelt and asked Father to help me draft a letter with my true feelings and then allow his Spirit to travel with that letter so that John could feel in his heart what we were feeling. I knew, through our faith - and God's power - this could absolutely happen.
Long story, short - and not to be too dramatic. That's exactly what happened. Anita talked with the director that following week. He said he'd read the letter and felt in his heart that these were good people and that God was involved with bringing these four children to the same part of the world.
Miracles have not ceased....
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