Walsman Family Adoption

For anyone who may still check this...

2009-08-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

Our agency director has been in Liberia for the past couple weeks and should be arriving home today. We hope to get some news on the status of our adoption in the next few days.

We had heard rumors that the Liberian government was going to allow children with completed adoption's to come home.

At this point I don't know what to think. My heart aches to hold these kids and yet in the pain I continue to rest in Christ. He loves them far more than I can even imagine. He has a good plan!

The latest...

2009-04-06T10:49:00.001-07:00

The bill with the new adoption laws was passed by the House and has moved on to the Senate for approval. So things are moving along! :) I'm not sure how long the next step will take...?

Waiting patiently....and not so patiently... :)

Update...

2009-02-24T17:06:00.000-08:00

After a fruitful trip Steve will be leaving Liberia tomorrow at about 7 pm Liberia time. While he won't be able to bring home the kids this trip he is anticipating bringing them home within the next 3 months. We will just wait and see what happens.

If you want to read more in depth updates, etc. you can go to my blog at www.oldfashiongirl.blogspot.com. I tend to write more their but it is also my general blog and so I write about family/personal stuff in general. So I'll keep giving simple updates here for those of you who don't want to read all the other stuff!

Thank you for all of you that are praying for us! Pray for tomorrow as Steve leaves the kids. I'm sure it will be very tough for him and the kids...

Steve is with the children!!!

2009-02-15T17:41:00.001-08:00

Yes, Steve is probably trying to fall asleep right now as he is in a hot humid room at the orphanage and Gidstina, Serena and Gideon are with him!!!!!!!

He has felt God's call to go to Liberia and try to get the necessary documents completed to bring home the children. He had planned for this end of January and then the president of Liberia shut down adoptions completely but temporarily. Even with this he still felt the nudge to go and so he has traveled with our agency director and a couple other adoptive mothers.

He will obviously spend all the time he can loving on our children and then he will go to different meetings with our agency director.

The door is closed right now for him to bring them home. May God be glorified in making a way where there seems to be no way.

I got to talk to the kids one at a time on the phone today, two different times! It is hard to understand them so that made it difficult but I was able to tell each of them I loved them!

I can only imagine what it will be like to be able to be with them one day.......a dream come true!

Proverbs says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."

New Pictures

2009-01-19T14:02:00.000-08:00

This is Gidstina with the sucker in her mouth!

Serena is on the left side of the nanny in the back, Gidstina is on the right side and Gideon is in the middle front!

Serena and Gideon

Little Gideon is squatting with the yellow shirt on...

Gidstina

Aren't they precious????

The latest....

2009-01-09T15:50:00.001-08:00

For those last few of you that are still checking this blog I want to give an update. Basically where we are at, is still waiting for our case history. It now is going to have to be re-done by another woman from the ministry of health. We spoke with her on the phone last week and she was very nice. She said it was her goal to have it done by the end of January and have us united with our children by mid-February.

Where I'm at is very similar to where I was at 8 years ago concerning a different situation. God had laid Steve, my now husband, on my heart and even a woman had predicted that we would marry (she knew us both separately, Steve and I were only acquaintances). I had certainly been open to other possibilities for marriage but Steve was continually on my heart. When I was single and I would begin to get a "crush" on someone I would pray, "Lord, if this isn't your will take these feelings away." He always did, but not for Steve. This seemed crazy to me because Steve didn't seem to notice that I even existed. Looking back I see it as my issue, not his (I was shy and insecure).

So after about a year and half of this can't shake these feelings I finally said "God, I've had enough!!! I'm going to seek your face every night, on my floor, on my face that if it is your will for Steve and I to have a relationship that you will make it happen." I gave God the date of Valentines Day (2001) because that was the year anniversary since that lady had told my mother she had found my future husband, Steve.

Valentines Day came and went much to my dismay but lo and behold Steve and I did have our first date just a week later on February 22, 2001 and were married June 15, 2001.

I know that my resolve is is very similar to what it was then. I will be praying every night, on my face, on the floor, that if this adoption is God's will that he would make it happen by mid-February.

My brother in law has been in Liberia picking up his two boys and while he was there he picked up our children as well and kept them at his hotel. So they have had a taste of what it is like to be "rescued", loved, and wanted. When he dropped them back off at the orphanage this morning, our middle child of the three, Serena cried and cried and cried.

Gidstina our eldest, kept asking him, "When are they coming?" Gideon, our youngest, told us on the phone, "You should come".

We would ask for your prayers with us that our case histories would be done by the end of the month!

Update of no updates...

2008-11-28T13:07:00.000-08:00

We have gotten over the past week lots of updates of nothing. Our Liberian side director is working so hard to get this signature! He has literally met with this man every day! Our American side director is leaving tomorrow to go to Liberia and will hopefully get the signature while she is there. One way or another we will get some more concrete news after next week I think. So that is where we are at! I'll keep the blog updated when we hear more next week...

Not so fast Walsman family...

2008-11-20T19:10:00.000-08:00

Obviously we were speeding too quickly ahead! The last signature we needed so Steve could go get the kids we didn't get. The guy ended up refusing to sign. He keeps saying each day, "Maybe I'll sign tomorrow". So we have NO IDEA what to expect. He could sign tomorrow or he could never sign. We literally don't know what to think. Other than we are back in the waiting game. I'm beginning to think it would be better that the kids not come home before all the hub-bub of Christmas and come home in January anyway. That way things came be calm and as they normally are. God knows best though and he will do just that! We are trusting in him!

Exit interview scheduled!

2008-11-12T19:26:00.000-08:00

We are very close to Steve being on his way to Liberia! Woo Hoo! Case history is written and needs to be typed and signed. The country side director has assured us that it will be done by Tuesday the 18th at which time the biological parents have their appt. to be interviewed by the US Consular. If all this goes well on the 18th than Steve can travel anytime after that. We just have to call the travel agency and see what flights are going to Liberia in the next few weeks.

Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow God. That is all I can say.

They have PASSPORTS!

2008-10-29T19:25:00.000-07:00

Our agency director emailed us a copy of our kids passports! WooHoo! We are one step closer to having them home. Oh, I can't wait! She told us that when Amos, the country director, went to the Minsitry of Health the other day they were working on our case history. So hopefully we will get their case histories this week or next week. If we do HollyAnn says we have a good chance of having them home by Christmas! Pray with us to that end! We are ready to get these kids out of the orphanage and into our family!

About our new kids!

2008-10-27T19:24:00.000-07:00

"Serena, Gidstina, and Gideon are all loving. Gidstina plays with other girls but never really the same girl. Gideon they say his name like Geo. At first he was shy and now everyday he is by Jana's side. He is a little guy and about 2 years old. He is always smiling. Serena is always smiling, love to have fun and very girly. She and Francis always play alot together."

This is from a mom who is in Liberia now picking up her daughter. She has had time to spend at the orphanage with our children.

CAN'T WAIT TO MEET THESE PRECIOUS CHILDREN!

CASE HISTORY HAS BEGUN!

2008-10-20T11:50:00.001-07:00

We got the long awaited email this morning that our case history was officially started this past weekend. AGGHHH!!!!! This is what we have been waiting on for the past 12 months!!! God's timing is perfect. I pretty much knew it was coming and I pretty much know these children will be home by Christmas. It has been neat to look back and see how God has orchestrated this whole thing.

Me letting go and telling God I'm throwing the ball in your court about adoption. I'm not going to pray about it or think about it anymore. If you want us to adopt then you have to totally initiate it! I'm done!

Several months later Steve turning to me after church and out of the blue saying, "It's time to pursue adoption".

God leading me to a woman that has adopted 6 Liberian girls and 4 foster children and has dealt with the same special needs that we deal with in one of our biological children. And how he used her to encourage me to go ahead.

The agency WACSN hearing our whole story and saying they would gladly help us with an adoption even with our unique family circumstances and how that gave me the encouragement to go on.

How God led us to the right organization to do our home study.

All my questionings and God confirming to me that this adoption is his will.

How he has provided all the finances needed.

How he has prepared our hearts and our home for many years now.

It feels kinda scary that it is all happening now. And life is going to change so much. And it isn't going to be easy. It's going to be a LOT of work. I'm a little frightened of that. I'm so used to things being the way they are now. I think pretty much I can sign off on the easy life from the time they come home until Heaven. Because with that many kids even as they grow up and leave home we will continue to be involved in their lives and then grandchildren and all of that. We are on the edge of a MAJOR life change. MAJOR. I never asked God for an easy life though. I've always asked him for the chance to glorify him. And I've always told him I'm willing to do whatever he wants me to do. So this is it. This is it. He gave everything for me. So the least I can do is give my life as an offering back to him. It's not much... But I'm His!

Update!

2008-10-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

Things are moving yet nothing concrete to share yet! Our children's orphanage is supposed to be accredited this week which will help everything to go more quickly. The ministry of health has agreed to do our case histories so the social worker should be going out to do them sometime soon. Once we have the case history all we need is the exit interview scheduled for the children's birth parents (shouldn't be hard to get) and then we make Steve's visa appt. to go and pick up the children, their visas, and head home. So we are so close!

We are still praying for our kids home by Christmas!

Dreamy Gelato

2008-09-19T09:39:00.001-07:00

I have a friend at work whose wife's dad is from Gambia and she spent some time there. His wife started a new business this year and when she found out what we were doing she wanted to be a part of bringing our children home. Dreamy Gelato http://www.dreamygelato.com/ has been instrumental in bringing in almost $1000 towards our adoption. Some of it from sales and a lot of it from just putting a "change can" by the cash register and our picture. We didn't even know that she was going to do this and it was such a heart-warming surprise to have her hand us the funds from the sale she donated, BUT also to hand us even more money from the "change can." The people who come to her store have been so generous!

Please visit Dreamy Gelato in Cumming, GA to show your support for their business. Click for Directions

Garage Sale 9/19-9/20/08

2008-09-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

God has blessed us with some amazing donations from many different families! One specific family - the Olsson's - have been responsible for about 75% of our donations. It's amazing to us how much money has been brought in by their donations. THANK YOU!!!

Update...

2008-09-16T19:55:00.001-07:00

We were told today that our children's Case Histories are on the social worker from the ministry of health's "to do list"!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We were told that they will be completed soon, but not exactly sure when. When they are started it will only take this group of case histories two days to complete. They were already started back in October of last year so they should be easy to complete! We are praying for a homecoming date in November or December!!!!

The children's passports are applied for so we should get those in the next two weeks. So pray for the passports to come and our case histories to be completed as well. We are getting close!

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :):) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Please pray!

2008-09-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

The MOH (ministry of health) is coming under significant pressure to move ahead with adoptions. He has been the main one holding things up for the past 8 months. He has to do the children's case histories which are necessary for the attaining the children's visas and passports. We are praying he will have a heart change and let the children go OR we are praying that God would send the "plagues"! :) We just want God to be glorified so we are praying that his will be done in this situation.

Our hope and prayer at this point is that we would have our babies by Christmas! With that in mind, I am busy busy busy preparing! I haven't done a lot of prep work for the kids up until this point because things have been so stalled. But with the latest promising news I feel the pressure to GET READY! It will be fun to think through all the little things the kids will need. I can't wait to go and buy stuff for the girls hair! I bought them some pajamas today at Kid to Kid, which is a consignment store for children's clothes. I bought them "footy" pajamas because I know the winters here will be tuff for them because they are used to the warm tropical weather in Liberia!

I also purchased their mattresses today and the guy gave us a great deal! I found their bedding a week or so ago and I'm eager to get it on their beds and see how it looks! I think they are going to have the sweetest girly room. I just can't wait to put them to bed in their own beds! It will be unreal. UNREAL. We've been dreaming about them for so long it will be so strange for those dreams to become reality, for these children who are just pictures in mind, into real flesh and blood children! I can't wait!

New pictures!

2008-08-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

Gideon, Serena, and Gidstina
Serena!
Gideon is in the front with a yellow shirt, Gidstina is near him in a pink dress
Gidstina is holding on the the pole in the pink dress and Serena is the only girl with the obvious spunk! She has on green sunglasses and has her hand posed on her hip!
Gidstina is praying/singing before her meal! What passion! :) Let's all take a lesson in worship from her!

Update...

2008-08-14T18:10:00.001-07:00

Well.... more waiting.... waiting.... waiting.... waiting.... I think that is the story of this adoption! -WAIT!- And that is okay because,

"He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil." Psalm 37: 6-8

"I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God." Psalm 38:15

"I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry." Psalm 40:1

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope." Psalm 130:5

And Proverbs 21:30 & 31 says: "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD. The horse is made ready for the day of battle but victory rests with the Lord."

Isaiah 26:3 says, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you."

I can gladly say that my heart is at rest! I cry out to God for these children but behind that cry I KNOW that God loves them far more than I do and he will act in their best interest and the timing of their coming home will be PERFECT. I know that because all my God's ways are perfect and in him is NO error.

So all that to say, we are still waiting! The new adoption laws are to be in place by the end of August. If the Liberian government officials begin to then work within the bounds of the law we will be glad! If they do not then we may begin making various phone calls to ask them why they aren't!

We will be doing our home study over again since it has been a year this October since our first one was approved! I never dreamed it would take this long! It feels like we are starting all over again!

When will these children get out of my dreams and into my home?? :) :)

The latest....

2008-07-22T07:35:00.001-07:00

The pictures are from a reunion of ELWA Liberian missionaries and their "MK" kids. We were so thankful to be invited to it and it was so neat to be in the presence of so many godly people who love Liberia! I felt I was in the presence of royalty! (and I truly was)

Our adoption agency director is going to Liberia soon for a week to work on our case. Please pray that she is able to get a lot done and that God thwarts any obstacles that might come along to prevent her from progressing things. She is going to try and get a letter from the judge to give to the minister of health so that he will do our case history. The case history is necessary for the children's visas. This is very important that she is able to do this as well as schedule the exit interviews for the birth parents. Pray for her safety and the families that will be traveling to pick up their children with her. This is an exciting time as several families will be united with their children in the next 2 weeks!

There will be another group of families due to travel (including my sister and brother-in-law) hopefully by beginning of September. Because we do not have case histories at this time I do not believe that we will be one of those families. But miracles do happen so maybe!

If we aren't one of those families I expect that we will be in the next group of families to travel sometime between late September and Christmas time. We continue to pray for God's timing because only he knows best, we cannot fathom really what he is doing and all the details. So we are leaving the timing up to him! :)

On another note, we had an AWESOME garage sale this weekend and have raised almost 1,000 dollars just in the past 4-5 days! We are continuing to collect garage sale donations because it is such a great way to raise money, people are thankful to get rid of their old stuff, others are able to buy stuff they need/want for cheaper, and we get to bring home Serena, Gidstina and Gideon! It's a win/win/win thing! So we will keep it up for a few more months. So contact me if you have anything you'd like to donate!

This past garage sale, it poured down cats and dogs at the end and several of our neighbors came to help throw everything in the garage!

A big thankyou to Dreamy Gelato and Chocolates for raising over 400.00 dollars for our adoption through selling chocolates as well as collecting spare change! Wow!

This Tuesday, July 29th at 7:00pm I'm hosting a Taste of Home Entertaining Party to raise money for our adoption as well. My friend Kelly Clark is donating all of the proceeds from the party to our adoption! Thanks Kelly!

At this point, we are hard at work fundraising and I'm continually nesting and trying to get my home in order as well as get prepared for this homeschool year. We're definitely keeping busy!

Thanks to everyone for your support and prayers! These are three VERY loved kids! Can't wait to meet them!

Garage Sale MADNESS!

2008-06-21T10:20:00.001-07:00

Our garage! This is Steve's place he likes neat, clean and decluttered!

Gianna are faithful helper! She was GREAT! Her parents are from Sierra Leonne. It was such a blessing to meet them! Thank you Gianna!

CLOTHES! CLOTHES! AND MORE CLOTHES!

So far we've made almost $2,000 dollars from the past three garage sales! Thanks to everyone who has donated! That is almost 1 whole plane ticket to Liberia!

I had FuFu and met a Liberian Ambassador!

2008-06-21T06:57:00.000-07:00

We went last night to my Liberian friend Rose and James house. She made the traditional FuFu which you should have seen my 5 year old's face when he ate it! His eyes buldged out from his head and his grimace made everyone howl with laughter!

While Liberian music blared in the background and the men congregated by themselves in the garage "bar" and ate peanutes I learned about Liberian culture! They invited other family and friends over and I talked to me about what Liberia is like. We had Liberian Rice Bread, and spicy chicken with sweet potato leaves, and of course, fufu.

One of the men that was there was Amb. Kronyanh Weefur, the Liberian Ambassador to Sierra Leone. He gave me his phone number and told us to call him when we come to Liberia!

Yummy Icecream Fund Raising Event!

2008-06-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

1) For those people that watch this blog and our EMC employees, Dreamy Gelato and chocolates is having a fund raiser for our adoption at the EMC Office in Duluth on July 17 from 11:30am to 1:30pm. Feel free to stop by the cafeteria and take a sample of the Gelato and chocolates available. Dreamy Gelato and chocolates will be donating a portion of the proceeds to our adoption. http://www.dreamygelato.com

1) Everyone is invited to Dreamy Gelato and chocolates on Sunday, July 20 to check out the new gelato and chocolates. For directions, please visit http://www.dreamygelato.com/ If you have a chance to go by, please let them know that you are coming in to support the Walsman Family Adoption and a portion of your purchase will go to our adoption.

THANKS SO MUCH Dreamy Gelato and to everyone who is going to treat themselves to some gourmet ice cream on behalf of our adoption!

WE GOT OUR COURT DECREE!!!!!!!

2008-06-10T09:54:00.000-07:00

They are ours! Their names are Gidstana Vah Walsman, Serena Vah Walsman and Gideon Vah Walsman.... :) We are so excited!

Now we need their visa's and passports.... We know God's timing is perfect! Please keep us in your prayers...

We are having another garage sale in a couple of weeks, we've got a LOT of stuff! Thank you to everyone who has donated!

Sorry I've not posted sooner!

2008-03-30T18:08:00.000-07:00

Things have really been on hold and that is why I've not posted recently. The Liberian government did not process international adoptions prior to the 14 year civil war. So adoptions have only been being processed since 2004. The government needs to have some time to get some new laws and/or regulations in place concerning international adoptions. We are hoping to have some news this week as to whether or not they are ready to move forward with our adoption!

We eagerly await the arrival of our beautiful children! We know God's timing will be perfect...not a minute too soon or too late!

As for now, I am busy trying to start a BAKING business to raise money for the travel expenses to pick up Serena, Gidstina and Gideon! God has blessed us with a dear friend who has volunteered to do all of our deliveries to the Alpharetta/Duluth area (about 30 minutes away from my home). I'm blown away by her generosity and know that it is totally a "God thing"! She is also pretty much my sales person, as I STINK at selling things! I'm excited to see what God does...

We will also be preparing to have a garage sale in two weeks. Thank you to my friend Kelli Clark who donated a lot of goodies for our garage sale, one of which I posted on eBay. It is a Southern living plaque that is absolutely gorgeous and it is evidently very desirable because you can't get it anymore. It is already at 22.00 dollars and has one day left for bidding. Thank you Kelli!

Thank you to everyone who continues to check this website for updates and for your prayers. We appreciate each of you!

Update!

2008-02-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

Our paperwork is typed and ready to be signed by the judge in Liberia! Hopefully this week Serena, Gidstina and Gideon will become officially ours in Liberia! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The first picture is Gidstina and the second picture is Serena!

We got new pictures!!!!

2008-02-05T06:05:00.000-08:00

The first picture is Gideon, the second picture Serena is the girl in the solid purple dress smiling real big, and Gidstina is also in that picture in a purple floral dress smiling real big, and the last picture is little Gideon again!

Nesting!!!

2008-01-25T10:40:00.000-08:00

Here are two pictures I found for the girls at Marshalls! The butterflies and flower actually are three dimensional...so cute!

I've been trying to very frugally start getting the girls room ready!It's a fun challenge! My friend Lisa gave the girls this wooden kitchen set! Isn't it cute!!! Thanks Lisa!

Now on to the challenge of finding THREE twin mattresses sets for a good price! I keep checking Craigs List, so I may find them through there. It is hard using Craigs List though because you kind of have to commit to buying something before you see it! I know God will provide...

Be praying for our agency directors who are in Liberia now to adopt and bring home their son Toben. You can check out their blog at www.petreeepatch.blogspot.com...

Update....

2008-01-16T07:08:00.000-08:00

The lawyer who processed Addy's Hopes adoptions died about a week ago. We are very sad for his family. Addy's Hope will now be looking for a new lawyer. Pray for them to find one quickly! Our agency director will be heading to Liberia very soon! Pray for her while she is there! She will be going with several families to pick up her own adopted child as well as go through our cases and hopefully make some headway.

She will have an assistant there to help her measure the children, etc. I will be very glad to find out what size they are approximately! It is hard to buy for them guessing what size they will wear.

I am experiencing much peace through this process, continually praying that God's will be done. This is such a huge undertaking that I need to know that God's will WILL be done!

We still have a lot of money to raise, approximately 8,000-12,000 more. We will have more garage sales once the weather gets warmer. So if you have any goodwill donations let me know! I will gladly pick them up! Thanks again to everyone who has donated so far!

For fundraising we are also selling shea butter and if anyone wants to get some it is 5.50 for a 1 oz, 10.00 for a 2 oz and 16.50 for a 4 oz. Email me if your interested! acwalsman@yahoo.com

I've got another fundraising idea up my sleeve but still in process! Basically it will be bracelets with different fabric choices and in the middle it would be black with a short bible verse in white text (or vice versa). Our oldest son has one that says "December 30, 2007" and underneath that it says "God's Soldier". That is the date he committed his life to Jesus Christ! The fabric on the sides of the text is camouflage. My younger son has one with the same fabric but it says "Love your neighbor as yourself." The lady who is helping me make them is working on being able to make them in bigger sizes so that I can get one that says something like, "A gentle answer turns away wrath". I need to be reminded of this every day, often! If you have any thoughts about these email me!

Timeline

2008-01-03T18:54:00.000-08:00

Our director told us to be ready for bringing home our kids by mid-February, but plan on March-May. It is so nice to have a time frame. I can get ready for our kids and then if we don't bring them home until May at least I can relax and know we are ready when it's time. I ordered a few books to start reading on trans-racial adoption and adopting older children. I'm also planning to take some courses given by the state for foster parents that will equip me to parent children with special needs. I know I will have a lot to manage so I'm excited to start getting equipped!

Answered PRAYER!

2007-12-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

Court decree has been signed by the father!!!! This morning I prayed specifically that the father would come in today and sign. In some strange way I new that step was going to be completed today. So now we need to be praying that the minister of health in Liberia would complete the case histories with the parents. And the court decree would be officialized in the courts making Serena, Gidstina and Gideon officially Walsman children! AAAAAGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!! :) :) :)

Really Struggling!

2007-12-26T18:52:00.000-08:00

We haven't been given any updates, things are going slower than expected, and I feel like my heart is laid open bear on the alter, ready to be smashed to pieces any minute! I never imagined this process to be so painful! I have pictures of our children now printed and taped to a shelf just above my computer monitor. I have this urge to take them down and put them away and not think about the adoption, other than praying for the children each day, until we get the call to bring them home. It is so painful to live in this not knowing stage. It isn't that I'm desperate to adopt them. If it isn't God's plan than I would willingly lay them down. But we are in the stage of not knowing, which is so hard for a control freak like me! :)

Having gone through three miscarriages I know how it feels to have God give and expect a birth and then have him take away. I just don't want to go through that again! I wish he would just tell me now, if they aren't for us, than close the door. But I realize that may not be his plan, we could go along another year or more and not bring them home. I know that I just need to trust and be surrendered, it is just so difficult!

I look at the children and I wonder should I attach to them as my children? I love them so much, without even trying. I am actually trying not to attach but when I look into the reality of my heart I'm already attached to them! I need to be praying that God would give me his love for these kids, not my own. My own love is so conditional and unstable and selfish and self-centered. God's love for them is, I imagine, free without any strings, free to love them where they are and continue to love them even if they don't come home. Free to pray for them and think about them and free to let every bit of my heart one hundred percent agape love them. Doesn't agape love mean to love at the sacrifice of oneself? So loving them would mean, letting them in, at the risk of them never becoming my children. Would I have loved in vein? No, I would have been a reservoir and hopefully conduit of God's love for them and that would be a gift.

I'm not sure if I've posted this already but the children's biological mother did come and sign the papers for the court decree, now we are just waiting on the father to come. Pray for God's will to be done please!

Thank you to all who have donated towards the children's adoptions! We appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts! We are up to 3,000 dollars! 13,000 more to go!

New Pictures of our kids!

2007-12-06T07:20:00.000-08:00

Gideon,

Serena

and Gidstina!

Update...

2007-12-02T11:41:00.000-08:00

Right now we are waiting for the necessary documents to be signed so that Serena, Gidstina, and Gideon will be legally our children in Liberia! This is so exciting! We hopefully will have that completed within the next 4-6 weeks.

We have the opportunity to send some things over to the children with a family that is going to pick up their children. I decided to sew them blankets even though it is hot over there right now. I figured they could lay on them or hold them. I just wanted them to have something special and I love making things by hand for my babies! I embroidered their names on them. We also will send a picture album for each of the children and letters from each of us.

I've been reading a book called "A black man's tribute to his white mom". It is definitely a good insight into how a dark-skinned child feels with a white mother. I know we will have challenges but I will continue to remind my children that we are all made in God's image, we have the same color blood, and if we all looked the same wouldn't that be boring!!!!!!! God is much more creative than that!

I just finished reading "Tears of the Rain". It was about a missionary couples experience in Liberia from 2001-2003. They were there during the civil war. What a scary time! It gave me tremendous insight into the Liberian culture and the extreme poverty in which they live. It helped me to understand how they can give up their children for adoption. It is the most selfless act they could do for their children. Children literally die of starvation on a daily basis there. Malaria is horrible and a common killer of young children. Measles generates such high fevers that children lose their sight. It is so so sad. Witchcraft and devil worship is VERY common. Child sacrifice is not unusual. I read things that I thought weren't humanly possible. Our living conditions here are absolutely royal compared to Liberian living conditions. I feel so spoiled and I just don't know how to change it.

I want to figure out how to spend less on everything, groceries, clothes, gifts. It just doesn't feel right at all to live the way I do while those in Liberia are living the way they are. So if you have any good beans/rice recipes or other money saving ideas email them to me at acwalsman@yahoo.com. Thanks!

Fund-raising garage sale success!

2007-11-14T19:02:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who donated to our garage sale. We raised 730.00 towards our adoption! I started thinking if we could have about 12 more of these we'd raise enough! It was actually the first garage sale I'd ever done. It was exhausting but fun! The only problem about having 12 more is I don't think we have enough time nor do people go to garage sales in the winter! Anyway, it was a wonderful experience. I didn't anticipate that I would need help on Friday but God was so good and a neighbor who I had never met came over and helped me and even donated a bunch of her own stuff for me to sell! She helped me navigate through all the haggling and things that I wouldn't naturally be comfortable with. She was a God-send! Thank you Kim!

One update, we got I-600a approval which for those of you who don't know, that is the big American thing you have to get to adopt. It is United States immigration approving you as an adoptive family. When we go to Liberia we will apply for the I-600 for the children, but the I-600a is pre-approval for that, so it makes the I-600 easier/faster. Does that make sense? Anyway, it is a significant step in the process!

Update....

2007-11-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

We got our fingerprints done with the USCIS which was an interesting and sort of trying experience. We brought the boys with us, which was the trying part. I was quite delighted to see that they didn't use ink for these prints. It was pretty cool. I show off the pictures of the children to everyone including the man who did my prints and at just about every store I go to, every cashier, every waiter, every well ANYONE! I kind of embarress myself... I just can't help it though, I'm just SO darn proud of them!

No update on the Liberian side of things. Just waiting, waiting, waiting! We got our first two donations yesterday which was exciting! I know God is just going to knock my socks off in how he provides for this adoption! He has already blown me out of the waters by calling us to this in the first place! Go God! This is definitely an opportunity for Him to be glorified because we certainly cannot do this and claim the glory for ourselves! This is ALL HIM!

Random thoughts on our adoption...

2007-10-22T18:12:00.001-07:00

When I look at the picture of Gidstina and Serena and Gideon I just melt. I can't believe that one day they will be home and in our arms. Their so beautiful and precious and I love them so much already. I've been thinking a lot lately about the difficulties that they will face due to being adopted. I've thought about how much their hearts will hurt over the fact that their African mom and dad gave them up. And I hate it, because I know that when my children hurt I want to make it better, and I won't be able to. I hate that the most. I'll just hold them and hurt with them and I will lead them to the throne of grace that promises us that their daddy in Heaven works all things out for good and that He loves them and their African mommy and daddy.

This adoption, it is bittersweet. The most bittersweet thing I've ever experienced. When I lost our baby boy, Adin, last January the anguish I felt was indescribable. I remember thinking that God wouldn't have allowed me to go through losing Adin if He didn't have a REALLY important reason. So I trust that God wouldn't have allowed this in Gidstina, Gideon, and Serena's lives if it weren't eternally worth it.

So often I look at the here and now but God is Alpha and Omega, First and Last and he knows the beginning from the end. So he knows that these troubles we face are light and momentary and that they are worth it for the glory that will be revealed when we get to Heaven. In that reality I walk forward in embracing Serena, Gidstina, and Gideon as my own.

On another note, God is orchestrating each part of this adoption and everything seems to be just falling into place! We have our appointment to be fingerprinted next week and two weeks after that we should have I600A approval. Beyond that we just wait for the Liberian side of things to be accomplished. I'm just praying continuously that God's timing would be done. I know that it will. I'm so excited!

OUR DOSSIER IS ON IT'S WAY TO LIBERIA!

2007-10-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

Can you tell I'm excited! Well, just a little!!! It's so neat to think about this and how it's Gods thing, that he is doing it...I keep praying for these children and for this process and His peace really does protect my heart. I start to worry and fear when I get out of sync with God and stop praying. Praying is like one of the best things that God has given us. It is amazing the difference in my life when I am continually praying. We continually pray about God providing the money for this adoption and I do wonder from time to time how that will happen. We are having a yard sale next Saturday and I'm excited about that. It will be neat to see how God provides because this is obviously His thing and he will bring it to completion!

We got a referral!

2007-10-07T17:57:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday we received a very surprising phone call from our agency that a sibling group of three had come into the orphange, two sisters and their little brother. We had thought it would be several months before we got a referral so this was quite a surprise! We had planned on adopting two older girls and were open to it if they had a younger sibling. We were thinking to adopt two girls that were around 6 and 8 years old. These little girls were 4 and 4! No, not twins, but very close in age. We had put on our application two girls between the ages of 4 and 8 so technically they were in that range, right on the line! God sometimes does the unexpected doesn't he! And their little brother....yes another boy, is 2. God knows I had been secretly really hoping that our "girls" would have a little brother or sister. I'm such a blessed woman! What can I say! After praying and contemplating for five days we decided unanimously that God was calling us to these children! We called the agency Tuesday, October 2nd and told her YES!

Here is the picture of our beautiful babes...

Gidstina Gideon Serena

I feel like I do when I show off my newborn babies when I show people this picture!

Why Liberia?

2007-10-07T17:42:00.000-07:00

Liberia was founded in the 1800's by white Americans desiring a place to get rid of freed Black slaves. I use harsh words because that is the harsh reality. They did not want to live, work, and play in and amongst freed Black slaves. So the American Colonization Society was formed and came up with this "solution". It may have resolved their problem but it was only the beginning of many challenges facing these freed slaves. The indigenous people already living there and the "Americo-Liberians" would end up festering the makings of all out civil war for 150 years before the atrocities would begin. They did not mix well, it wasn't a good idea, and it wasn't right.

From 1989-2003 Liberia was in civil war. Rebel soldiers killed thousands of men, women, children, and babies. What was once a developing country is now a devestated country. Steve and I read a book called, "Where little ones cry" and it was about the lives of children during the civil war. It broke my heart and I longed to do something to help!

We are so thankful to have this opportunity to care for these little children as our own! Our hearts are open to whatever else God would call us to, to help rebuild Liberia.

How God has worked this adoption in our hearts...

2007-10-07T17:17:00.000-07:00

I (Abby) have had a love for Africa and a burden for Africa since I was a little girl. I used to watch the infomercials on t.v. and just cry and cry. My favorite song as a child was "we are the world, we are the children". I could sing it now! So as soon as I knew about this thing called "adoption" my mommy heart was immediately drawn to the idea of not just sending food over to orphans, not just providing for their physical needs, but to their emotional and spiritual needs as well.

I longed to put my arms around children who were in such great need and love them with all of my heart. I did love them and I still do! I talked with Steve before we were married about my heart for a large family and adoption. He was open to this as well, as he has a heart that is driven by the fuel of mercy. However, Steve did not feel it was time for us to pursue adopting in the early years of our marriage. At one point Steve told me not to talk to him about adoption anymore, at all. So I stopped. And prayed. And prayed, and prayed.

God gave me the opportunity to put my arms around precious African children on a mission trip to Tanzania in June of 2004. I prayed a lot during this time about adoption and our family. Several weeks after I got back Steve called me into his office one morning and with tears in his eyes told me that God was laying adoption on his heart. He said he didn't feel called to pursue it right then but that we needed to pray about it. So we did.

Several years went by, we had another baby and we moved and life went on but God still burdened my heart for the needs of orphans in Africa. As our oldest son came to the heighth of his struggles I concluded in my heart that we would not be adopting any time soon and that surely God wouldn't be calling us to it. I told God this past April that I would not be praying about adoption anymore. I almost felt like it would be wrong for me to. That God didn't want me to be praying about anything else but our oldest son. I wondered if he didn't want me to be focused on anything but him. So I told God that if he wanted us to adopt he would just have to bring it up because I wouldn't be anymore. I did this with an obedient spirit wanting to honor God with my life, not because I was refusing to adopt if that was his call. I just felt that sensibly it couldn't be.

Several months went by and I really didn't think about adoption. I had truly let it go. One day at church though God brought it to my attention once again. The preacher, Scott Armstrong, talked about how the early church grew by embracing orphans. In the early Roman empire little girls weren't desirable by many so they would abandon them outside the city gates. The Christians would wait there outside the gates and when babies were abandoned they would take them and care for them as their own. He said that this was how the early Christian church grew to expand the entire Roman empire. He then challenged the congragation by saying "Imagine the impact and influence we would have on nonchristians if we lived like that!"

His message stood out to me, obviously, because I remember that specifically. And one of Steve's friends from highschool visited our church that day, of all days, with his African American adopted son. This evidently made an impact on him.

We went to lunch with our new associate pastor and his wife and in the middle of our conversation with them Steve turned to me and said, "It is time to pursue adoption." I just about fell out of my seat! Is that not God! I knew it was God because so many, SO MANY, other times Steve had said, NO, NO, NO! And several years ago God had begun to lay it on his heart, telling him to pray, but not to go ahead with pursuing adoption yet.

And now, in the fullness of time. God was saying go, go get them! He promised us he wouldn't leave us as orphans, he would come to us, and now we get the opportunity to mirror this beautiful adoption love of God to little ones in Africa!