Turning in the application already!

After many prayers as a family and couple, Michael and I have made our decision on the adoption agency and country from where we are adopting. What's amazing is that with this agency and country, we are able to start the process 6 months before we turn 25, which means NOW! I was overjoyed when I heard this news and upon praying even more, and after another "God shove" we have decided to go ahead and turn in our application with Children's Hope International (which you'll probably be seeing me refer to as CHI).

You see, when e-mailing back and forth with the program director for the country we will be adopting from,  she gave me all sorts of information and asked me lots of questions. When she said we would be able to start the process now, I was excited, but began doubting, wondering, and praying "Wow, should we start now? Should we go ahead and turn in our application, or should we wait and pray more? I'm not sure what to do!" Before I even finished my prayer, I heard an e-mail notification. I finished my prayer and went to check, and saw I got an e-mail from Show Hope (the adoption and orphan care organization Steven Curtis Chapman created). I opened it and the first part of the e-mail said this:

"YOU are God's Plan for the Orphan!

The United Nations reports that the number of orphans around the world 

waiting for help is more than 140 million. This global crisis is present even

in the United States where over 120,000 children now wait to be adopted 

from the foster care system. But God commands every Christian to act and to 

care for orphans and we would like you to join us this fall as we serve the orphan....."

How is that not an answer to what I was just praying about? And there's no way that could've been a coincidence that it was e-mailed at that exact moment... I told Michael about it, and he confirmed my thoughts. Now is the time. This is God's calling for our lives and we are ready to follow Him...

So, I'm sure you're wondering what country we decided to adopt from? We have submitted our application in for adopting from Ethiopia. We could adopt an infant, but we have decided to keep our hearts open for whatever child God has for us, and are willing to any child under the age of three of any gender. We know, without a doubt, that God already has the perfect child picked out for our family. We are so excited to begin this journey and cannot wait for the day that we can bring our little girl or boy home to his/her forever family! Ilana is just as excited and wants us to bring home a brother for Aydan and a sister for her, that way they can each have someone to sleep with. :) Oh, how I wish we could!!