A Story for your Heart and BBQ for your Tummy

We have met some amazing people through our adoption experience. It's been really fun to see the Lord open doors and introduce us to other families who have been burdened for orphans. There's something really special about sharing encouragement with people who are living a similar life experience.

When we first began our journey, we were introduced to a very special family. I have mentioned them before but I'm dedicating this entire post to them (yeah girl, you can thank me later with some of Evan's homemade ice cream). Evan and Angie McGinty (and their 3 children) are adopting a little boy from Ethiopia and are also using Lifeline as their adoption agency. They happen to live about 2 minutes from us. When Angie and I met, it was eerie how similar our stories were and how similar we are. Seriously, Angie and I were finishing each other's sentences the first time we met! :-) But that's not why I'm writing about them.

They are determined and faithful in their walk to adopt a child in Africa. They have been changed because of their adoption in Christ and want to reflect that deep love. Evan and Angie have a rock solid marriage, incredible faith, and all the love in the world to share with another child. The only thing they don't have (like many of us) is a large chunk of cash sitting around to complete an international adoption. Seamus and I want to support them any way we can so I'd like to share their story with you here, as well as a way you can help this Sunday!

HERE is their sweet story of how their adoption began.

And here's Angie with her oldest daughter, Dixie, wearing their Emily Hope tees! They have been so supportive of us. Pretty girls!

The McGinty's church family is hosting a BBQ to help fund their adoption, this Sunday on the Madisonville lakefront (at the Maritime Museum). If you live in the area, wouldn't you love to join us for yummy, messy, good-cause barbecue??? Here's more information:

Hope you will join us this Sunday! The food will be plentiful and the company even better. :-) If you can't stay, feel free to pick it up and run.

Best wishes, McGinty clan. We love you to Ethiopia and back! (Angie has estimated that to be 17,136 miles of love) ;-)

Call to Worship

Our pastor at New Covenant, contacted me and Seamus earlier this week and asked if we'd be interested in opening up for worship this morning at both services. We responded, "Of course!" The "Call to Worship" is a 3-5 minute opportunity to awaken the body, to prepare our hearts for joyful worship. Needless to say, we were humbled and excited to be able to talk about our adoption with the ones we love most. More importantly, we were going to have the opportunity to share our testimony of who we are (adopted sons!) in Christ.

If you know Seamus, you know that he loves the Lord with all his heart and loves the opportunity to live out the gospel. His gift is speaking to people face to face, informal, and impromptu. He abhors being the center of attention. I think he'd rather be stung by a thousand jelly fish. Okay, that's pushing it but he really doesn't like talking in front of a congregation of people. You get the point. It was hard for him. But y'all, my man is one special guy.

Seamus' testimony this morning was less about our adoption of Emily Hope and more about who our God is. He shed light on our adoption in Christ. Our story this morning wasn't our story at all. It's God's story. Adoption is what He does. It's who He is.

This is the reason we are adopting a fatherless child. It is an expression of who God is and all that He has done for us. It is our desire and our goal in life to be an example of who Christ is. "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us." (Ephesians 5:1) We don't need to adopt a child. We don't need to grow our family. We have a wonderful life. And frankly, our salvation is secure because of His grace. We're certainly not doing it out of obligation. We are perfectly content. But the truth is, our hearts groan for more and "content" is just not fulfilling. Our ministry of adoption is our worship to Christ as an outpouring of our thankfulness.

So here's my call for all of us to worship... (echoing Seamus' words... the Spirit's words really... from this morning) Let's be thankful, reminded of His sacrifice- His blood that was shed, His infinite love, and His worthiness of our praise. And in our thankfulness, let's worship Him in all we do, whether that be through adoption or caring for "the least of these" in other ways that reflect who Christ is and all HE has done.

I'm proud of you, Seamus Martin. I love you to pieces. I'm even more thankful to my precious God who provided the opportunity, the peace for Seamus to make it through, the wisdom to recognize who Christ is, and our burning desire to share this story with others. These gifts only come from our perfect God who made the perfect sacrifice to adopt us as His sons!

Biometrics... Check

We had our biometrics (fingerprints) appointment in New Orleans today, and I am happy to say that's one more little step behind us. From here, USCIS (Immigration) will assign an officer to our case and eventually approve us to be adoptive parents of a child from another country. We should receive their approval (I800A) in about 4-6 weeks. I'll be stalking the mail man around that time frame... again. ;-) In the meantime, we'll be putting lots of energy into planning our November fundraising event. Keep sending those prayers up, friends!

Waiting

"Waiting" will be a recurring theme in my life over the next year or so. It's what the Lomans are doing now and we can expect lots more of it.

Waiting. It's hard. It's so contrary to our carnal world. It's not something we tend to appreciate. Society tells us that we should have what we want when we want it. Our culture is impulsive, telling us that "now" is the time. "We've worked hard. We're doing the right thing. We deserve it. Why wait?" I'm guilty of this. I can grow weary. And skeptical. And fearful. I want my Emily Hope now. I want to know that she's being cared for. I want what's best for her and in my mind, that's being home, in our family... NOW. But God knows better.

God's word tells us over and over again that waiting is a good thing.

"But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)

"Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand." (James 5:7-8)

"The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him." (Lamentations 3:25)

"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" (Psalm 27:14)

God uses waiting to sanctify us, to make us more like Him. It draws us deeper into relationship with Him. It forces us to rely on Him, rather than on our own flawed plans. Patience is the fruit of a faithful spirit (Galations 5:22). How patiently I wait for God's will to unfold reveals my trust (or lack of). 'Patience is the willingness to suffer- to put aside plans for a person, to lay aside self to serve, to set aside agendas to step up to an altar.' God is sovereign over everything and nothing is outside of His will. When I grow impatient in my waiting (for Emily, through pain or illness, in any context really), I am saying that I don't trust in God's sovereignty. Can he really handle this situation? Does He really know what He's doing by allowing our wait for Emily to be pushed back even further? Am I willing to suffer, trusting He's got it all in the palm of His hand? Y'all... Yes, Yes, and Yes!

Friends, I do grow weary, skeptical, anxious, and fearful. I need to be reminded of the very truth I'm sharing with you here. I need to be reminded that God has a perfect plan for my life and for Emily's life, reminded that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God, reminded that His timing is perfect and any events that I consider "obstacles" can and will be used for God's glory, reminded that my times of waiting are opportunities to be in prayer and relationship with the only one who can accomplish this adoption (and everything else for that matter). I need to be reminded that no ministry is worth a darn if I'm not being still and waiting for the Lord's voice.

Waiting. It's hard. But I thank God that He makes me wait. I thank Him for making Emily Hope wait. And I thank Him for His perfect timing. I may not understand His timing but I do know it's perfect... and I'm kinda okay with perfect.

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope." (Psalm 130:5)

Gearing Up for a Very Special Event

With doughnuts and t-shirts behind us (we do still have plenty of shirts left for sale), we are moving our fundraising focus towards a family event we will be hosting on Saturday, November 16th from 3-6 pm. I don't have all the details now but I would like to share some preliminary information.

We are partnering with a very special organization (to be revealed soon) and it will be held on the Terra Bella Village Square. The goal of this event is to bring awareness to our community of the global orphan crisis and to offer education on how ordinary people can help in extraordinary ways. Funds raised at this event will benefit this special partner organization as well as our personal adoption of Emily Hope. Things to look forward to are live music, delicious food, kid-friendly activities, and a silent auction!

I am particularly excited about the silent auction we have planned. We want to make sure this auction has plenty of quality items. If you have an item or service that you would be willing to donate for the silent auction, please email me at lauraloman@yahoo.com. If you know someone that may be willing to donate, please share this request with them. Ideas for auction items include, but are certainly not limited to: art work, spa services, vacation home rentals, gift baskets, jewelry, children's clothing, baked goods, gym membership, autographed memorabilia, new sports equipment, restaurant gift cards, handmade collectibles, and furniture. Creativity is key in making the auction a success! We will begin collecting items for the auction now so feel free to contact me as soon as you have items available. :-)

There will be oh-so-many areas of help needed... market and advertise, set up and clean up, organize auction, man a station, etc. A local church has already donated their "block party" equipment for our event! I can't wait to give them a special shout out for all the awesomeness they are contributing. If you have a desire to help with a specific area, or just want to show up willing to do whatever, we are grateful for any hands and feet. Let us know and we'd love to have you get involved! Many, many "thank you's" in advance for your willingness to help!

We will keep you updated with details. For now, mark your calendars for November 16th and start spreading the word. We are hoping to have a huge turnout for this worthwhile jubilee!

Fingerprints and Wait Times and Barbecue, Oh My!

Ups and downs. Anything goes. That's adoption.

Immigration fingerprint appointment secured for July 16th in New Orleans. This is the last action item on our end before we get our I800A approval. Even a fingerprint appointment is one step closer to being united with our Emily Hope.

Further news... our agency has informed us that wait times to be matched with a special needs girl under 2 years old has just increased by several months. This could change again but for now, we've gone from about a year long total process to maybe summer of 2014 or later. All in God's timing.

Lastly... Save the date! Our awesome friends, Evan and Angie McGinty are in the process of adopting a little boy from Ethiopia. If you live on the Northshore, please mark your calendar for Sunday, August 4th, for a BBQ to benefit their adoption. Their church family, Bridge Church, is hosting it at the Maritime Museum in Madisonville. They will be serving between noon and 2:00ish and you can eat it there or take it to go! Y'all. These people are amazing and your support would really be appreciated. The Lomans will certainly be getting our fingers messy that day! To read more about their story, visit their blog.

How Adoption Has Changed Us

It's hard to explain how dramatic an impact this process has had on me and Seamus. It has only been a few months since God so beautifully burdened our hearts to pursue this adoption. I love to reflect on how he has changed us in such a short period of time. It's impossible to share all of our experiences up to now but here's a glimpse in to what God is doing in our lives.

In 2007, my brother suffered a brain injury and shouldn't have lived. He was in the neuro-ICU on life support for weeks and a third of his brain was removed. Needless to say, this was a very difficult time for me and my family. Many miracles came from this tragedy. The most obvious is the fact that today he functions well (all things considered). But even bigger than this is the amount of grace that God poured on us through other people. God displayed HIS infinite compassion through the love and support, prayers, phone calls, cards, flowers, meals, finances, errands, babysitting, listening, and hugs of So. Many. People. It's this same compassion I feel through our adoption process. I am overwhelmed by, not only the number of people, but the amount of support so many have offered. We are forever changed, once again, by God's amazing and unlimited grace. Y'all. God. Is. So. Good. When we started on our journey only a few months ago, our hearts aimed to please God, to shine light on His glory, to walk a road that honors and blesses Him. While these are still our desire, it turns out God has decided to bless US beyond our wildest imaginations! All glory and praise, for all these life-changing experiences, are given to Christ alone. It's all His work, His grace, His perfecting. I am continually overwhelmed that He chooses to use me for His purpose. I am even more overwhelmed at how He uses YOU for His purpose. His love, mercy, generosity, protection, justice, creativity, wisdom, and grace are all displayed through each of you who are walking with us. We are forever changed by your willingness to love us.

We are also growing in how we handle our finances. He is calling us to be better stewards of our money (His money, really). We are being challenged to cut back, reorganize priorities, and become much more transparent. I am thankful for those of you who have held us accountable in our fundraising efforts, asked the difficult questions, and have given wonderful advice on how to do this the right way.

Another way I have changed through this process... Perspective. We are more aware than ever of the sad reality that so many children in this world are orphaned. So many, too many, don't have a family to love them or even feed them. The harsh and ugly realities of their existence have been presented to us bluntly. This too, has become a blessing for us. We have been burdened by what we have learned and it's a privilege because this is the same burden that Christ has in His heart. We aren't able to just turn our backs now. And thankfully, we don't want to. “Once our eyes are opened, we can’t pretend we don’t know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act.” (Prov. 24:12) I've been reminded that adoptive parents aren't the answer to the orphan crisis. The answer is Jesus Christ. My eyes have been opened to the disgusting truth of what is happening across the globe to helpless children. I plan to be an ambassador moving forward, not only for earthly adoption, but for birth parents and children everywhere to realize their adoption in Christ! This is the only solution to our problem of sin and abandonment. I pray that my perspective would be constantly morphing into the perspective of God's. I am thankful that he has answered prayer by burdening our hearts for adoption.

More growth in perspective... When we started this journey, I was very skeptical. Yes, adoption had been on my heart for years and I knew God was speaking to me regarding His will for us to adopt. But I had so many questions, so many doubts, so many fears. "Why would God use little me for this? Surely He's not really asking me to follow through with it? I'm too busy. It's too expensive. I could never love an adopted child the way I do my biological ones. What will people think? There's too much we'll have to sacrifice to make this happen." Sure the questions still creep in to my mind periodically but God has truly given me a clearer picture of His purpose. Although I don't have all the answers, I am secure in our decision because I know it's of God. I don't know what obstacles and hardships lie ahead. And I know they do lie ahead. There are so many unknowns for us. But isn't that life in general? Really, we don't have any guarantees in this life, except that Christ will always walk with us through it. The truth is, if we are never doing kingdom work that is unnerving or uncomfortable, then we really aren't trusting in the only one who truly keeps his promise to provide. Christ calls us to "carry our cross", to "lose our life" for His kingdom (Matthew 16:24-26). That's a huge load, y'all. It's not just heavy, it leads to death... death of self. And that's okay because death of self and life in Christ's work is the only life that leads to true joy! Yes, I'm scared and unsure of how it will all work out but God's word reminds me that those doubts are my flesh, not Him. His words tell me that I am treasured and loved, and that love never fails. No matter what valley we face, Christ is in it with us and I wouldn't trade that for all the comfort in this world! He is the giver of all that is good and the taker of anything he wants. We accept whatever He wants to give or take away, knowing that it will further His kingdom on earth and that it's all for our good (Romans 8:28).

This process has blessed our family beyond measure. It's exciting to think about what God might have in store for us in the near and long-term future. He never stops providing, never stops blessing, never stops loving. And I will never cease to be amazed at his infinite glory that he so gladly shares with me. How incredible is our God who loves to bless His children. Wow! Thank you, Father.

Blessings Galore

These past few days have been filled with crazy surprises! It started with an amazing family offering to purchase our travel to China for me, Seamus, AND our son Brady. It's hard to imagine what was to follow...

If we weren't overwhelmed enough, we received a cash donation the next day from another loved one, in the amount of $750! Wow! We were blown away... AGAIN.

Then there was our garage sale this morning. We made $250 to benefit our adoption! I was hoping for $100 because I pretty much give everything away at these type of things. :-) Thanks to those of you who donated items! (We're probably going to do another one later this summer so feel free to save more junk) The garage sale was a blessing to me personally because I had several strangers share their hearts with me. I love when people open up because there's always an opportunity to share the love of Christ with them and the Lord uses these stories to humble me. One lady shared a story with me about an injury she had years ago and left her almost paralyzed. She woke up one morning crying out to a God she didn't really know. Long story short, God responded through physical healing and she hasn't stopped sharing her story since. Another lady shared with me that she has a 6 year old grandson who has terminal cancer. Sigh. There were others who touched my heart. I didn't expect to give so many hugs at a garage sale. Amazing how God works through such an ordinary event!

After the garage sale, I went to check the mail (as I do so faithfully, always hoping for a letter back from the Immigration Department) and there was a letter from someone we love with a donation of $500! WHAT?! Really?!

Uh... uh... uh... yeah, I'm pretty speechless (and y'all know that doesn't happen often ;). Hugs, kisses, thank you, and blessings to each of you! Every time I thank God for his faithfulness in providing, he laughs and drops another one on us! :-)

Between the 2 donations and our profit from the garage sale, I have increased our fundraising thermometer by $1,500! We are almost half way there, y'all... Wow!!!

To China and Back... TIMES THREE!!!

Seamus and I have been discussing which, if any, of our children to bring with us when we travel to China to pick up Emily Hope. It's a question that all international adoptive families are faced with. We have to spend 2 weeks in China and that is a very long time to be away from our little people. There has been a lot of contemplating and praying over this. The trip is completely safe for children and it would be great to not have to separate for that long but in the end, we decided we can't bring all 3 of our littles. The main reasons are the cost involved as well as the fact that we really need to focus on Emily while we're there and give her our attention as needed.

After the back and forth, talking to families who have done it, and praying diligently, we decided that Brady (our eight year old son) should come with us. We feel like this would be an amazing experience for him on so many levels. We knew from the beginning that Brady's plane ticket could not be paid for through fundraising. It just wouldn't be right. His coming with us is our personal decision, one that is very important to us but nonetheless, not a necessity. We recently decided that his trip would have to be funded from savings we have tucked away for the kids (college, etc.). This will truly be a once in a lifetime experience for him and we decided that this sacrifice would be worth it.

Since making these decisions, we have had a wonderful surprise enter the scene. As I mentioned in an earlier post, a close family friend generously offered to pay for me and Seamus' flights to China. So, what do you say when this same family later offers to fly your child to China with you as well? Well, that's exactly what they did! Be careful what you say around loved ones because apparently, our talk about possibly bringing Brady had an impact on them. They feel the same way we do about what an amazing experience this would be for him... so much so that they offered to fly him too!

So, what do you say? (big sigh...) Thank you... And PRAISE GOD! I mean really, there are no sufficient words. Thankfully, God knows our hearts. When this extra gift was extended to us, Seamus took the opportunity to pray with them. He thanked God for His faithfulness and for continuing to provide. Man, He is providing beyond our wildest dreams! The neatest thing about this family being so involved financially is that they give all the credit to Christ and recognize that it all comes from Him. They recognize what a privilege it is to be used by God in this way. We are so honored, not only to receive such a generous gift, but to experience God's mighty love through some amazing people.

We estimate one round trip flight to be around $1,500. Because only Seamus' and my flights were factored into the total estimated adoption expenses of $32,000, we are not reflecting Brady's $1,500 flight into our amount raised on the thermometer. Nonetheless, it was important for us to recognize this special donation here. We are overjoyed by knowing our little man will join us and that we don't have to stress over this extra expense. We are thrilled to share our joy with you!

Once again to our sweet friends... We love you to China and back... TIMES THREE! :-)

T-Shirts Have Arrived!

Our adoption t-shirts arrived today! If you preordered a shirt, we will get it to you as soon as possible. I'll sort and organize over the next few days and should have everyone's shirt to them by next week sometime (or in the mail at least). If you haven't ordered one yet and would still like to, we have plenty of adult-sized shirts left. You can get all the information HERE.

A little fundraising side note... my friend Jacelyn and I are having a garage sale this Saturday at her house (714 Aloha Court, Abita Springs). Lucky for me, I have a ton of junk to get out of our house! All of the stuff we sell from the Loman household will benefit our adoption expenses. If you have items you'd like to get rid of, we'd love to take them off your hands! I'd be happy to pick them up from you before Saturday.

Thanks again for your support with all our fundraisers! It's been a fun ride with doughnuts and t-shirts. ;-) I can't wait to disclose our big event we have in the works... lots of fun gonna be happenin' for some very worthy causes! Until then, please keep the prayers coming. Love y'all!