God's Callings

I have a lot to say about adoption! We are, of course, HUGE advocates!!! (Look at the tiny treasure that our awesome God brought our family!) So, I wanted to share this post from a sweet bloggy friend, Linny! If you have not read her story...you need to!!!

http://aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/2012/09/he-is-not-deadbeat-dad-part-1.html

Absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!!!

Final Adoption, January 31,2011

A lot of our family was able to come and share this wonderful day with us.

With our attorney, Traci Mears

The new, official, Barnes family

Some of the Barnes cousins

Grandma Renee with some of her grandkids

With our judge, Judge Sullins

SO glad that our tiny treasure is officially ours; and so nice to finally have that paper in my possession!!

We Need Prayer

I am asking my bloggy friends for prayer. There is a major spiritual attack on my family. These are some of the events that have happened just since we started the adoption process: water leak and mold in the bathroom resulting in an unexpected remodel; Husband-Danny in a car accident; Son-Branten broke his wrist so ER, Doctors, cast, x-rays, etc; and just this past Friday I was in an accident. I was taking myson and 6 friends to Karate Kid for his birthday and an older lady ran through a yield sign and straight into the side of our SUV. Thankfully no one was hurt on either side.

I am completely convinced that Satan does not like that we are going to bring two orphans home to live in a loving, God-filled home and that is why there is such opposition and attack on our family.

Please join with us and pray against these attacks so that the Father's heart can shine through the Barnes family.

Blessings!

IT'S OFFICIAL

Well, finally, I received word from AWAA that we have been accepted into the Rwanda program. It's actually happening! Now our "paper pregnancy" begins. I am so excited. It seems like I have been waiting to "start" for an eternity.

Juat wanted to share the great news that in about a year and a half we will have our two new family members home with us!!!!!!

Have a blessed weekend!

Rwanda Country Information

I found this information on a blog I follow, brunosadoptionadventure.blogspot.com

"Rwanda, one of the poorest countries in the world, is a beautiful country struggling under the weight of the devastating genocide that occurred in 1994, when over 800,000 Rwandans were brutally murdered – leaving families decimated and the country’s infrastructure in shambles. In the aftermath of this tragedy, poverty increased, particularly among children. Half of Rwanda’s population is under the age of 18. Most of these children live on less than $1 a day. The infant mortality rate remains high at 37 per 1000 live births, and illnesses like HIV/AIDS have created a new wave of orphans. (Source: UNICEF)

Since the genocide, Rwanda has made great strides in advancing its economy and stabilizing its government; however, the orphan crisis has been largely unaddressed. In the entire United States, with a population exceeding 300 million people, there are 130,000 adoptable children . Compare that to the nearly 860,000 orphans in Rwanda - a country just the size of Maryland, with total population of 10.7 million people. This number of Rwandan orphans includes children in orphanages as well as an orphan group made up entirely of ‘child-headed households’. “Rwanda has one of the world’s largest proportions of households that are headed by children (i.e. children raising children) with an estimated 101,000 children heading up some 42,000 households.” (UNICEF, 2004)
Until 2008, Rwanda did not allow international adoptions. Because Rwanda has just recently opened to international adoption, the country does not have the same advanced adoption resources and infrastructure as seen in the United States and other countries. There remains an overall lack of awareness of the crucial needs and life-threatening conditions that Rwandan orphans face."

The Process Begins

So right now I am taking a break from filling out our application for adoption to AWAA for the country of Rwanda. Wow! Yep. I said it. Rwanda. I know that this is not the first country that we have looked into and prayed about but the govt in Haiti is not moving off the 35 age for parents. I know God has something for us here but not sure what. My heart is still broken for this beautiful country and its people.

I know that God has our kids in His hands and is holding them safe until they are home with us...and who can say that the kids in Haiti are more in need of homes then the children in Rwanda. I can't. No one can.

All I know is that there are too many kids, all over the world, laying in cribs in dark drab rooms waiting for someone to love them, and hold them, and rock and sing to them. Someone to whisper to them and say how incredible and special they truly are. A mom and dad to tell them about a Father that designed them andwho has ordained every second of their life and who longs to own their heart and fill it with His love!

So for now we are still praying, and waiting, and filling out LOTS of paperwork :)