Mornings of Mary...

Like we have said before, we absolutely love the mornings when we wake up to pictures of Mary in our inbox. Honestly, it's elating! The four of us are crowded around the computer screen with huge smiles on our faces. Seeing her sweet face reminds us of why we are following the Lord on this journey. It puts the skin on what, at times, can feel overwhelmingly surreal. It gives strength to our ability to wait on Him. Considering how ill Mary has been,  it was especially refreshing to see her face today.  According to our dear friend, Alex (who you see above holding Mary), she is on the mend. He took her to the clinic on the island today for another check up and we should get the results of that visit soon. We are so thankful for Alex and his love for Mary. We would be lost in this process without him.  

Just wanted to update you all and share these pictures with you. Your continued prayers are greatly appreciated!!

*A quick side note-  We sent our first package to Mary a few months ago with some special items that she could use and eventually bring home to the USA with her. We were a little nervous that the package would be intercepted along it's journey and eventually lost or stolen, but it did make it! The outfit that Mary is wearing in this photo was chosen by her soon to be Daddy. It's fun to see a little bit of us with her in the photos. 

Much love, 

Wes, Brandie, and the boys

Pray for Mary

Would you commit to praying for Mary and our adoption every day for the next seven days? We're  worried about Mary's health and we're really feeling the distance that is between us and this sweet girl. About a month ago, Mary came down with some illness that has been very difficult for her to fight off. Our friend, Alex, has been doing his best to care for her and get her to medical clinics. Unfortunately, the illness has really affected her little body, so much so that we barely recognized her in the photos we received today. It's heart breaking because there is nothing we can do from thousands of miles away. Our complete trust is in the Lord who holds her and has brought her this far. Please pray that she will bounce back from this illness. Pray also that the last few details of the adoption will progress so that we can bring her home. We are so close!

Mary and her paternal grandmother. Mary is holding the bear we just sent her.

Looking at the board book of our family that we made for Mary.

With much love,

Wes, Brandie, and the boys

Wait, Trust, Hope

Well, we're apparently not the most consistent of bloggers.  It's been almost 4 months since we last updated you on the adoption. So sorry! Our lack of communication, however, does not indicate a lack of activity in the adoption. Since we last updated you, we have:

-completed our home study and were approved - 2/11/2013
-been fingerprinted for US immigration in Nashville, TN - 3/15/2013
-received and signed the affidavit and petition to adopt Mary from our lawyer in Malawi - 3/15/2013
-been approved by US immigration to adopt (without one question from Homeland Security!) - 4/12/13

In light of all of this,  our lawyer is ready to schedule the court hearing in Malawi.  The only thing remaining on our end is for Mary specifically to be approved by US immigration. This should take a few weeks and there shouldn't be any problems.  Once she is approved we can start travel plans. We're guesstimating that we could be going sometime in June or early July depending on when they can secure a court date.  In the interim, we're continuing to wait, trust, and hope in the One who is orchestrating all of this. It has been amazing to watch Him bring all of this together without really any significant efforts on our part.  It has confirmed in my heart that He will do what He plans to do with or without us. We can choose to follow and be a part or we can choose to stay put and miss out on what he is doing. We pray that we will always follow Him no matter what the cost. The gift of this little life, this precious girl, humbles us beyond words.

Most recent picture of Mary with her great-grandmother.

On a slightly different note, a while back we had the privilege of helping our friend, Alex, build a new home for Mary's grandparents. Apparently, their home was in dire need of repair. We were able to raise money to assist with the building of the new home. The approximate cost of the new home was about $500. It's sobering to think of the things we spend our money on, when for such a small sum (by American standards) you could significantly improve a family's life. Below are some pictures of the process.

We hope to be updating you soon with travel plans.  Please continue to pray for Mary's continued health, and for her grandparents, their health and their hearts as they prepare to say goodbye to Mary.  Pray also for George, our lawyer, as he completes this process with wisdom and integrity. And, for our dear friend Alex as he continues to be the "middle-man" in all of this. This wouldn't be happening at all without him.

Lastly, we want to thank those of you who have continued to support us in this. Thank you for your prayers, your financial support, your adorable gifts, and for your inquiries as to how Mary is doing. Nothing means more than when a friend asks, out of the blue, how Mary is and how they can pray for her and us. It reminds us that, even though we're not pregnant, we are still expecting a child.

Blessings to you all and again, thanks for walking this road with us. =)

Much love,

Wes, Brandie, Emerson , Owen