Beneath the surface

It has been 3 weeks since we were LID and awhile since my last blog post. I feel like there has been a lot accomplished in the way of home improvements, but we don't have a lot to show for it. In the past few weeks I have shared with you the crazy amount of time it took just to put up walls in our new bedroom.

First there was some serious demolition of what existed previously. Then we had to reframe with new wood. After that we had to insulate and patch holes to protect us from the elements. Finally the walls went up, and you would think our work was done.

 But I learned, the work was just beginning. 

It took a solid week to tape, mud and sand the walls. Then we finally got primer paint on the walls and I thought for sure I could paint my walls my favorite shade of blue and call it beautiful, but all the primer paint did was expose the imperfections in the taping, mudding and sanding.

I don't mean to sound cliche, but this whole process has me thinking about the process our daughter will be going through when we finally get to call her ours. I keep watching videos of gotcha days, and seeing posts of moms in my area who are in China now and really struggling. This bonding and attaching thing is not easy. These children have been traumatized, if for no other reason than the fact that they have lived the greater part of their little lives in an orphanage. Their little lives are plagued by fear, and only perfect love can drive out that fear. (1 John)

In a different way, and on different levels, we are all plagued by fear. We have all been traumatized by sin, been offered a cheap imitation of this thing called LOVE. We have all felt unsure of our identity, carried shame, felt totally and completely alone. And so, even though I am impatient to a fault and I despise hard work, I cannot wait to love on this little girl. To offer to her the greatest gift anyone can ever offer: the Gospel of God's Grace! I pray that as we tear down the walls she has put up around her heart, that we will, in God's perfect time, see his redemptive and beautiful work in her life; that as the walls come down, his love, through us, will flow in. I am ready to lay foundation, to do the work that nobody sees, with the faith that one day, I will see her flourish. I pray that I do not grow weary in doing good, in doing this good work that is all ...

Beneath the Surface

WATCH: "Beautiful Things" by Gungor

Adoption Progress

Well we are in one of the most exciting phases of the whole process, the Matching Phase! It is also often a difficult phase of waiting. Our agency tells us it could take 3-6 months to be matched, though I have never seen it take more than four. We have to keep trusting that God's timing is perfect and just go on about life as normal. It's difficult not watching a boiling pot, ya know? 

We did find out last week that our dossier is "in translation."This phase usually takes several months, I think, and must be complete before we could receive a letter of approval (LOA) for the child we have been matched with (whenever that happens).

House Progress

Since the last time I wrote, we have finished:

•  mudding and priming the walls of the "master suite" 
• We have painted a couple of doors, as well as all the trim in the family room.
• We have done some touch up painting in the family room and...
• received our new couch!
• Larry and Dad cleaned out the closet in the new room and..
• Put in the ceiling, lights and dry wall in that closet!

By this weekend we are hoping to:

• have the doors and walls painted
• Have the closet mudded and sanded so we can paint next week

Mark your Calendars for May 13-14th for our big adoption yard sale! 

We will be accepting donations and volunteers to help work!