Time for a Miracle

The following is a letter I sent out to our church family this afternoon:

As some of you know, Craig and I are adopting a child from Eastern Europe.  Her name is Miah and she is 7 years old.  What most of you probably don’t know is that at 7 years old she weighs 20 pounds and is severely malnourished and neglected.  Because of her extreme neglect her life and health are at risk.  We have a letter from a doctor at MUSC asking for an expedited adoption process in order to get her to the US where she can receive food and adequate medical care.  It is imperative for her to leave her orphanage as fast as humanly possible.  

Up until this point that letter has been honored.  Our home study is almost finished and our social worker has approved our adoption of a special needs child.  All we need to complete the home study are our state child abuse and neglect clearances.  These should have been finished 3 weeks ago, but have still not been received.

The state of Georgia is proving to be exceedingly difficult throughout this process.  They are not returning phone calls or emails and it is next to impossible to get a supervisor on the phone.  We’ve sent our paperwork to them three times now.  We've sent our paperwork to South Carolina twice and we’ve now been told that they are processing our request, but are being very slow about it.  

I come to you as our church family with a heavy heart.  The longer our daughter waits in that orphanage, the harder it becomes for her to adjust to life outside it’s walls.  The longer she waits the harder it will be to begin feeding her and getting her therapies.  The longer she waits, the more her caretakers tell her through their actions that she is not loved or valued.  

All we need to move on to the next step are three sheets of paper.  We can do nothing else until we receive those.  

We know there is power in prayer and that where two or more are gathered God will meet us.  Please join us in spirit as we pray for this paperwork to be processed.  Pray that the hearts of these workers will be opened and that our clearances will be sent with no further delays.  Pray that God will continue to have His hand on Miah and that she will be protected.  

God can work miracles.  He’s kept her alive for 7 years when nobody thought she would survive.  I have no doubt he can get this paperwork to us this week.  

Thanks for listening and for your continual support of us through this process.  We love you all!

Will you join us in praying?  While I don't believe God is the one slowing down this process, I do know He can use these delays for good.  Please join us in praying that He will work a miracle and that we will have these clearances by the end of the week.  He can do it.  He can do it easily.  And it's only through His power that it can happen.  

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11