Eli's prayers

Elijah.....he prayed faithfully.  He taught me so much about faith.

April 2013.  I was having a day with my sweet friend Julie and we were getting pedicures.  I happened to check Facebook.  I was tagged in a post, by a sweet lady I have never physically met.  We became friends on Facebook because of adoption.  She & I share the same desires.  She tagged me in a post about a bi-racial little boy, due in September that needed a family.  WHAT?!  That would be a perfect fit!

So, I called the #.  I got a voice mail, but I left some message about the fact that we were interested in adopting this little boy & we already had a little boy and we would be a great family.  I was a mess.  ha!  Julie and I chatted and we were relaxing enjoying our day.  Then, my phone rang.  It was that number calling me back!  What?!

On the phone call, I received information and well, it was some financially information.  I wasn't sure it was going to happen.  But, Julie (who was pregnant by the way) and I just went to lunch and enjoyed the rest of our day.

That evening at home we read all the information, and it seemed hopeless.  But, God is able.  We talked to a couple members of our family and shared with them the information, which included the "match" fee of a fairly steep amount. Pretty sure this little one wasn't meant to be in our home.

The next day, I received a phone call from a family member.  They were willing to loan us the match fee.  What?!  EEEEEEKKKKKKKK.  So, we started the paperwork.

So, this adoption was all new to me.  We were working with an agency.  But, this information also had come from an adoption facilitator.

Adoption facilitator....this is someone who helps find a family for birthmoms.  They are also someone who sometimes work with adoption agency's to match families with birthmoms.  They have a fee too.

I was not familiar with this "facilitator" issue.  In some states they actually don't allow them.  So, we started the process for this little guy and signed paperwork.  It was Sunday.  I was confused by the paperwork.  I was not understanding why the cost was going to be different than what we were told.  I asked and the facilitator told me I needed to ask the agency.  So, I emailed the agency.  They normally weren't working on Sunday, but this day, happened to be.  She was appalled by the amount the facilitator was charging me and told me not to sign the paperwork.  Thank God she did.  It would have costs us an additional $12k for this route.  But, our agency, stopped us and come to find out, they had NEVER requested this facilitators help!!!!!

It was hard to sleep.  It was hard to do anything over the next few days.  On Monday, we wired the money to the agency and all we could do then was wait.

Wait
and
wait
and
wait.

Waiting is what we did.  Be still....