We're Moving.

For those of you who know us at all... that title caught your eye, didn't it? =)

We started praying about it when we fell in love with Jesus, when he adopted us-- two very broken kids into His family. We surrendered our hearts fully to it on Thursday. And on Friday, God made some things quite clear and I smiled real big through my tears.

I don't know why this sister of mine has such a special place in my heart. I can count on one hand how many times we have seen each other face to face and held more than a five minute "real" conversation yet I feel like I've always known her.

While praying the other day for clarity beyond the yes,  that great big God of ours laid my sister, Christy, heavily on my heart; finally showing me how our hearts are so similar. He simply told me that morning, while driving my mini-van packed with kids singing silly songs in the back-- "This is why she is so special to you. Because I started her on this road before I started you."

And then! Then! That amazing God of ours used another sister, Ginny to confirm this that very day.

She had told me she couldn't wait to give me my birthday gift and she wanted to give it to me in person. It had been months since I had made the trip to her state to visit her and even this trip almost didn't happen. Looking back now, I know God had different plans. When she gave me the gift, I realized why I had made the trip. Why I had made the trip, that Friday. The Friday, after the Thursday we had surrendered. That Friday, the Friday He had spoken to my heart about my friend and our roads.

The picture. Taken by my friend Christy during her trip to Africa last year. She sold these prints as a fundraiser this summer for her trip back to Uganda. Ginny had bought me the picture.

And on the back, she simply writes:

"Kati When I saw this picture, I knew you needed it. Check out our African Sister joyfully doing her day's work-- providing for those she loves. It's a pretty big bundle she's got, but this girl even has enough spring in her step to turn around and offer a sassy, energetic smile. Totally Y-O-U."

And I cried. Of course, you know me. 

Two sisters, joyfully working in Uganda.

Uganda, the place Christy goes to serve.

Uganda, the place she is adopting from.

Uganda, the place our Katie loves, serves, and has surrendered her heart to. The place she has introduced us to and helped us fall in love with.

Uganda, the place Ting always told me to forget about and think more about Taiwan =)

Uganda.

So, when I ask that man of mine, all cute and giddy about our final surrender, "What country?" He simply says, "Of course, Africa."


So, we're moving. No, no, we're not becoming missionaries =) We're not moving away. We're moving forward. We're surrendering our hearts, finally, and choosing to Trust that Amazing God of ours and adopt. And we're praying it starts a chain reaction that we can't ever stop and our crazy house will be full to the brim with whoever God will bless us with.

Because He adopted us.

We don't know how we'll afford it, we don't know how long it will take, we don't know anything at all about what and where to start-- no more than our friends have shared and Google has searched but we know the character of our God--

and isn't that all we need to know?

I have accepted a position with my Hubby's company, providing financial services and education to families and small businesses. I have a lot of tests to pass and a lot of training to do but I have a purpose. 70% of my earnings will be going towards our adoption. This way, when doors open-- we can tip toe through them, scared and shaking,  having no idea what's beyond them but knowing we were obedient.

Luckily my job can be done mainly from home and when not at home, Daniel can be. So we'll tackle it all together-- this thing called life. We'll both teach the children, we'll both do our jobs, we'll both fold clothes, play games, do dishes, struggle through the mounds of paper work and budget all the costs together. All because God is so good.

So good, to take two very broken people, young and stupid, full of selfishness, and pride. Overwhelmed with guilt and bad decisions and made us new. He adopted us. Two unwanted people-- two people who didn't even want each other let alone want to surrender to Him. And you know what?

When He adopted us, He gave us life.

"Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
    this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
 God places the lonely in families;
    he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy..."
{Psalm 68: 5-6a NLT}

Please pray for us.

Pray for the one He will send us. Pray For God's will to be done in their lives. Remember Esther and Moses? They were both adopted.

"This man had a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter." {Esther 2:7 NLT}

"Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, "I lifted him out of the water." {Exodus 2:10 NLT}

We feel very strongly it will be Africa, we hope for a boy between three and four years old. We know, with the size of our house, they will only approve a boy since Judah is the only one who doesn't share a room. And when we asked each other what age, we both had the same idea, pre-school age. When I get to feeling all bad about having specifics-- I simply pray God's will be done above all.

Will you please pray for humbleness, direction, wisdom, and God's will to be done as we start this new journey? Will you also praise him? Praise him for our hearts finally surrendering and trusting Him with this decision.

What if we fail? Surrender.

Wholehearted Thanks,