Our Hearts Overflow

Although its been pretty quite on here while we're sharing over at Our South African Journey, I wanted to take a minute to convey how absolutely overwhelmed our hearts have been today.  July 23rd will be a day of celebration in our books. (well, it's already a huge day of celebration because its my nephew's birthday-happy birthday, sweet Jackson! We would be there to celebrate with you, but we're busy getting you a life long playmate) :)

It's Gotcha Day! So today we became parents for the third time (I feel really old when I say that) to Elijah Sandile Raby.  So we celebrated....thanking God for His sovereign and protective grace that has led us to today.  Adoption is a miracle.

Another miracle of today is that Ethan has a virus!! For a couple of weeks Ethan's blood counts have been pretty low and today his virus finally caused something detectable-an ear infection. Even more of a miracle is that his CBC showed a significant increase in his platelets, which is fantastic! While I know it hasn't been fun for my mom to spend so many hours at the doctor this week, we are so thankful and at complete peace with the care our kiddos have been getting from their grandparents. And let me just say that FaceTime is a wonderful thing!!!

Because his numbers dipped low and because it's been a while since we've seen his doctor at Vanderbilt, Ethan has been scheduled for another biopsy there on August 6th. He will also be having weekly CBC tests until then.  His next blood work is on Friday (26th), and we would love to see some super high numbers.  We are incredibly humbled and thankful for the many praying for our E-man, and we want to give you reason to praise while you keep praying for him.

Journeying On,
Sara

Our South African Journey

Our South African Journey is a new blog we'll be posting on while we're in South Africa. We wanted a special way to document our days here and Jared wasn't too keen on posting to the flowerish blog:) Thanks for wanting to journey with us, we're so blessed by you  care for us and are looking forward to sharing all God is up to.

Journeying On,
Sara

Wheels Up and a Bit of Turbulence

Well, it's taken miracle after miracle, but we've finally made out of town and in route to South Africa. These miracles started Friday afternoon when our final piece of paper from immigration made its way to our mailbox. After it arrived we learned it had to be notarized, authenticated by the Knox county clerks office and then state sealed at the secretary of state's office in Nashville. Nothing like cutting it close. We're so thankful it came and that we had some amazing volunteers to drive it to Nashville on Monday to get ready to go. So, here's how the Lord has been at work in orchestrating these events. The adoption agency wanted us to leave on 14th, but tickets were so much cheaper to leave on the 16th that they made an exception to let us come later. If we hadn't requested a later departure date, we wouldn't have our immigration paperwork. Praise Jesus!

Are delayed departure was also in the Lord's plan because last wednesday Ethan had his monthly blood work, and for the first time in several months it had dropped down. With the delayed departure, we were able to take him back in Monday afternoon to repeat his labs. Unfortunately, they were still low. We have reason to believe it could be a small virus that he is having trouble fighting off, but because his condition is unchartered territory, it is always a bit unnerving when the numbers drop. After the doctor and I discussed rechecking him on Friday and left the room, Ethan reached up for me to hold him. As I looked at his sweet face, I became teary at the thought of all my sweet boy has been through and how sick he could become. Just before I started sobbing on the poor boy he grabbed my face and said with the biggest grin on his face, "Mommy, why are you not smiling?" So I smiled at him as he began to sing, "a joyful heart is good medicine, good medicine, a joyful heart." Out of the mouth of babes...

So on Monday afternoon, we set aside our massive to do list and plans for packing, and we cried out to the Lord. The unknowns are always so great with Ethan's little body and the thought of leaving the country with a sick boy at home was just overwhelming to us. We had to come to the point that we laid it all on the table. Ethan, travel to South Africa, adoption of Baby South Africa, our family, etc...all of it had to make its way to the alter at the feet of Jesus. It was a hard and emotional afternoon as we sought so much wisdom, direction and peace from the Lord. And it shouldn't have been a surprise to us that we began to be totally overcome by peace. Peace that Ethan has always been and will always be in the arms of Jesus. Peace that our journey to adoption is happening exactly when it should be. Peace that the Lord has not brought us to this place to leave us, but to show himself as absolute Provider, Healer, Protector and perfect Planner.

So with inexplainable peace, we said goodbye to Ethan and Addison, letting them have tons of fun with grandparents over the next few weeks, and we boarded a plane on Tuesday morning to start our journey to South Africa. We depart praising the Lord for the amazing details he has worked out and great excitement for meeting Baby South Africa. But we also take with us heavy hearts for Ethan's health and prayers of pleading for sustained health and complete healing over his little body.

Journeying On,
Sara

It's Time

After almost 2 1/2 years of paperwork and waiting, the day is finally in sight.  July 23rd (Lord willing), will forever be a day marked on our calendar and celebrated in our home because it's the day a little boy from South Africa will become part of our family!  This is our scheduled court date, and in the adoption world it's called 'gotcha day' and we are doing everything we can to move towards it!

Jared and I leave sometime the weekend of the 13th to have a week of bonding with our boy before the court date.  We'll then spend some time outside the city of Durban getting a new birth certificate, passport, visa, physical, etc.  I'll return about three weeks later, while Jared and 'Baby South Africa' will return a couple of weeks after that.

We have seen the Lord work is such mighty ways over the past few weeks and are confident that he has led us to this point.  He has also provided miraculously for us as we plan for our extensive travel and adoption fees.  The week we received this court date we received four separate "blessings": from a friend who didn't have any idea how quickly our adoption had speed up, family members generosity and a significant grant that we had applied for months ago.  It has truly been jaw-droppingly amazing and completely humbling to see the Lord work every detail through.  Many of you have asked how to pray for us, and we want you to know we plan on continuing to share how the Lord works all of these details through:

• Our last piece of paperwork from US immigration is still lingering and we need it back and approved by our court date.

• Our precious friend that has been staying with us for a while is going to be transitioning to a different home, and everyone involved needs prayer on this one, as we love her very much and want what is best for her.

• That Baby South Africa will remain healthy and that his caregiver will be able to prepare him well for the transition ahead

• For our family to have precious time together before we are apart for several weeks

• That Ethan and Addison do well with their grandparents as we're gone for such a long time (honestly, they'll probably be having so much fun that they won't miss us, but it helps me feel better about how hard it is going to be for us to leave them if I imagine them being a little sad about it). 

• That the Lord will make a way and build relationships for us to minister to those we come in contact with while we're in South Africa so that His name will be magnified.

You can also pray we have good internet connections so there can be a massive picture dump blog post right after 'gotcha day'  :)

Journeying On,

Safari

Let's just say this was a bit outside my comfort zone...but cheap entertainment/experiences for the kids always suck me in (darn groupons).  I'm not exactly an animal person and when you step out of your car, nasty pigs and crazy brave chickens come walking right up to you.  Thankfully, we went with some friends, which made the experience so much better for me and the giggles heard on the ride were very heart filling (warning...picture dump).

 

Journeying On,

Baby Maxwell

Loved welcoming this precious new nephew prince last week

Mr Maxwell William Raby is most certainly a keeper

and his cousins are super excited

(thank you, husband for making this precious video)

Journeying On,

Thankful Thursday

for a poolside princess

for summer days of playing hard together

for good rest...and a sleeping face I could watch all afternoon

for new adventures with friends...more to come on this one:) 

for a chance to hear the words "Mommy, I'm hungry"

Journeying On,

Imaginative Play

There's a children's museum not too far away, and we thoroughly enjoyed it!

We played hard and have been recounting the day's events for days now.

Most of the pictures speak for themselves:)

Journeying On,

Thankful Thursday

for times of cooperative play...embracing each other and finding joy in their 'sibling' relationship.  I wasn't sure this day would come, so I'm very thankful for it

for these smiles that make my heart smile

for matching hair

for moments of flying high (she loves it, even though her face isn't so convincing in this pictures)  :)

for good blood....the closest to normal it's been in about 9 months

Journeying On,