More than just whining

Saturday was totally crazy busy here in Wade World, but in the midst of all the insanity I had an epiphany moment.  I decided that I'd write a blog of my prayer requests, all the things that are weighing heavily on my mind.  Then my bloggy friends and family won't have to listen to me fret, stress, and whine, but then can join me in prayer for God's will and direction.

So here goes -

1.  Our RA coming soon.  You knew this one would be first, didn't you?  The RA (or LOA) is the offical approval from China that we can adopt Hadassah.  Gotta have that piece of paper before more paperwork can get started to actually get us traveling to bring her home.

2.  The timing of our trip to China.  I know in my head that God has a perfect plan for when we'll actually get to go, but I keep giving Him my ideas of what I think would be absolutely perfect.  Funny isn't it that my perfect keeps changing, but His doesn't?  Anyhow, once our RA gets here, my will would be for the next paperwork steps to move very quickly.  I want my girl home for lots of reasons, but a big one is so that we might have some time over our kids Christmas breaks from school to settle in with our enlarged family before school chaos starts in January.  But as always God's will trumps mine.  He knows just what we need and when.

3.  Kid care!!!  As much as I love planning things, I bet you think I have it all figured out exactly what, where, why, when, and who will be taking care of our other five kiddos while we travel.  Well, if you actually thought that, you'd be wrong.  God blessed us so much when we traveled to bring Keziah home and lots of things just fell into place so grandparents were able to help out.  But now?  Two weeks plus five kids?  Hmmmm...no one is lining up to take this job for some unknown date in the future.  I haven't quite start panicking...yet.  But it's kinda hard right now not knowing when I'm going to bring child #6 and also what's going to happen to #1-5 while I'm gone.

4.  $$$$$  Yeah, hate mentioning this one.  God has been so awesome and provided just what we've needed along this unexpected adoption journey this year.  Now as we enter the home stretch with travel expenses looming, I'm really wishing He had just written me that big fat check I'd asked for.  In my world of wishes when we began this journey back in February, I thought it would be cool to take all the kids.  Thankfully God didn't write us that check because we've now decided that it would probably be best for us to just go as a couple again.  Five sleep deprived, grumpy, needy, whiny kids would be a bit a a distraction from our newest, traumatized, grieving daughter.  We'd prefer to just focus on Hadassah for those first few days.  She'll get to meet to clan when we all get home, and then we can enjoy all the new challenges of adjusting as a family.  We still dream of returning to China some day with everyone, but not this time.  Even without the expense of five extra people, there will still be three of us traveling. 

5.  Since I've been battling some cold/flu-ish/upper respritory gunk for two weeks now, health comes to mind.  I'm more concerned this time around about possible health issues for Hadassah.  Knowing that things like lice and scabies are easily transmitted in orphanages as well as yucky colds and tummy aches, I'm praying for Hadassah's physical health.  Then for the five who will stay at home, and for Christopher and I traveling.  Oh!  And when we actually get Hadassah, because of new laws and regulations now in place, she will have to have a TB test and ALL immunizations that she might be missing.  It could mean anything from one shot up to nine at one time, I think.  Not looking forward to this part for my sweet little girl. 

6.  When we finally have our girl and when we get home, ADJUSTMENTS all around!  I don't expect both girls to be the same, but I keep remembering the tough times with Keziah.  This could be better or it could be worse.  It will be different for sure.  But my prayers aren't for Hadassah alone.  Each child you add to a family changes the family.  All my kids had to discover their place in the new family structure when Keziah came home.  Poor Elijah, the former baby of the family, had a rough time.  I think he's almost happy we're adopting again so he can sit back and watch Keziah deal with the upheaval and learning to share her throne.  Call it his own sweet revenge.  Oh yeah, we need prayer in this area!

7.  Packing!  No, it's not too early to panic about this.  Christopher and I don't know how to pack light.  We really tried for Keziah's trip, but we were over the 44 lb. per person weight limit for in country flights in China before we had Keziah.  Traveling when it's cold in Beijing and mild in Guangzhou for three people for two weeks is just hard.  There is just so much I feel like we NEED!  I think I pack my entire medicine chest for all the just-in-case possibilites I can imagine.  Then there are all the treasures I need for my little girl.  Yeah, pray for this one too.

8.  Painting!  This may sound like a contridiction.  As fast as I want to get to China, I'm also freaking out about here at home.  I have this slight nesting/painting issue.  This is the third child for whom I've painted .  Not just one room in the house.  Total psycho painting!  I just know that a new child added to the family sets my life backwards again.  When I'm focused on what my littlest ones need, I don't have the freedom to let my creative side loose and make HUGE messes.  (Maybe that is why Christopher has agreed to adopt again?)  I really want to have my house in order and feel warm and comfortable in it with all the rooms finished.  Though Christopher can't quite understand, I really do NEED to paint the dining room and remove the 80's wallpaper.  I will feel much better.  And I NEED to repair the nicks and dings in the hallway and cover up the fingerprinted walls with a new color.  Ah!  The peace!  I can imagine it now. 

9.  Children's Worship Leadership!  About one year ago, we began leading the children's worship service at our church.  My original prayer to God was something about how He didn't have to grow the number of kids because we were willing to just work and minister for Him no matter what the numbers looked like.  He missed that part of my prayer!  Instead He decided to grow the ministry.  So for months my prayers have been for Him to bring adult leaders to help us have a more effective ministry.  Now that prayer has changed to a very panicked prayer, "HELP!!!"  These kids are like my own too.  Love 'em!  Right now, there has not been a great flood of adult helpers.  Don't let the kids know, but some Sunday mornings it's just Christopher and I with 60 or 70 kids.  They haven't figured out yet that if they really committed mutany on those days, we couldn't stop them all alone.  Stepping out of this ministry to travel to China to bring Hadassah home and then needing to take a break until she's settled in is frightening for me right now.  Who will take care of all my other babies?  Who will tell them about this amazing God we serve and show them His love?  Pray for adults to answer God's calling on their lives to love on my kids, all 100+ we have been blessed with this past year.  They are such precious treasures (and stinkers too)!  Gotta tell you, there is nothing more wonderful than singing wild and crazy praises to God with kids who just worship with their whole being! 

10.  Can't believe I'm even gonna ask for this one!  Patience.  Maybe it's truly more faith and trust?  Last week was really hard.  Every day I waited for the phone to ring with the magic call to tell us that our RA had arrived.  Every day I struggled with disappointment and, truthfully, depression when it never did.  Part of me knows that God has this perfect plan all worked out.  But the other part of me really wishes He'd just show me the end of the story first.  It would surely make the waiting part easier if I knew the why now.  I guess my response should just be like
Isaiah 6:8 -
"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Who shall I send?  And who will go for us?'
And I said, ' Here am I.  Send me!'"
Modern day translation from Lara, "Whatever!"  Hard as it is for me right now, I am willing to do the whatever He asks of me.  I mean seriously, Lord!  As I crawled off of the 14-hour flight home from China with Keziah, I think I swore that I'd never do that again.  Here I go again!  I've got another princess waiting to come home.

11.  Add that one to the list too!  My newly discovered fear of LONG flights.  Those big planes begin to feel very small after a few hours.

Thanks to all for your prayers!  And your support and encouragement!  Oh, and just think!  As soon as I get that RA I can show you all my precious little girl's pictures so you can see my peanut that you are praying for!