The 411

Hi all!
I promised an update and here I am. :)
Well, I'm bringing you the most pathetic attempt of an update anyway.
Here's the 411:
Several months ago a European couple traveled
to China to adopt this precious angel.
As they prepared for her adoption physical,
they thought she couldn't hear & requested a hearing screen.
The hearing screen results showed at least partial hearing loss
and they knew she needed medical follow up.
For whatever reason, they didn't have the resources
to provide her with adequate medical care.
So, she was returned to the orphanage.
That's right, she made her second trip to the orphanage.

Now I've got to tell you,
we have thoroughly scrutinized this from every angle.
Here's the part that holds true:
The child I thought needed a family yesterday,
I now realize REALLY needs a family.
Corrected heart defect,
possible hearing deficit,
whatever!
That baby girl needs the warmth of a home
and the love of a family, a forever family.

Please pray that God will send provisions.
He's located the willing bodies,
now He just has to equipt them. :)

God's blessings, Sarah

P.S. Wanna know the coolest resource thus far?
My sweet cousin is a Sign Language Interpreter
and is willing to teach us the basics.
Is God crazy cool or what?!

Please pray for the financial backing to take the next step.
My body needs to travel to China to bring that baby girl home...
and recover my heart.

An Orphan That's Real

An orphan is not real,
until you let them in your heart.
And then they become so vivid
that you awaken during a rain storm,
wondering if they're ok.

It's been pretty crazy here the last 24hrs.
The kinda peaceful, quiet crazy
where everything just falls into place.

You read a blog post.
God speaks to your heart.
You check the waiting child list
and a child that has been there for months,
catches your attention.
Her eyes pierce your heart
and you can't turn away.
You watch her video,
you review her file
all the while thinking,
I can parent that child.
She needs a family and a home.
She needs the love of a mother
and the one on one time of being worked with.
That little girl needs brothers who love to play ball.
She needs a father to teach her
how to slide without falling.
And hair bows, she needs a hair bow.

There comes a point in all this where
you began to feel like a deer in the headlights.
You keep thinking, is this really "it"?!
In your heart you know,
but in your head you approach cautiously.

You tell your friend you'd love to see
a burning bush right about now,
and God speaks through her saying
"No, that would be too easy.
And this isn't suppose to be easy.
It's a faith journey."
The minute the words leave her mouth
you know Who authored them.

The boys watch the video,
James is bothered by the children's cries.
You resume the video later with Joseph.
The boys love her plumber's crack
and how she runs in tiny little steps.
And several minutes into it they ask
(just like they always do)
"Can we have HER?!"
When you reply that she doesn't
have a family yet,
Joseph becomes your burning bush...
"YES, we can have HER?! 
Well then what are we waiting for?!!!!!"
So you send the email and receive confirmation,
she is on hold for your family.
James spends the rest of the night
practicing his ball playing skills
and shopping for her Christmas presents
in the toy catalogs.
He thinks he can get a deal on
one of those Pottery Barn pink & green
polka dotted rolling suitcases,
the small one of course...
she'll need it for the beach he explains.

Every time you wake up during the night
you hear this song playing in your mind.
"I wanna love because you love,
I wanna give because you gave,
I wanna reach my hand to the lost,
Because I know your love can save."

And you know.

Today I'm praying for God to rain down
his provisions for our family
and for a certain little girl.
Because I know His love can save.

God's blessings friends, Sarah :)