Greetings Family and Friends,
If you would have asked me to update this blog a week ago tomorrow I would have said no way...last Wednesday we received some rough news. The Rwandan Government has temporarily shut down all international adoptions. As their country is growing and progressing they are trying to make things safer for the their children as well. So they have decided to become part of the Hague Convention. They are one of 27 other countries in the world right now that are a part of this group. This is a good thing, as it protects the children being adopted out from all forms of trafficking etc. But for us hopeful "mommies and daddies" it's rough.
It just means more waiting...but it's in those waiting times that the Lord really starts to show you who you are in "Him". I must tell you, I really don't know if we could get through something like this without the Lord's help. Up until this point in my life this is one of the most "emotionally hard" things I've had to deal with. Last Wednesday, I truly felt like I had miscarried a child. My heart hurt so deep that I didn't think it was even possible to ache that much. But God's strength is made to carry us through those hard times.
Throughout this past week as we have been digesting this news so many thoughts have been running through my mind. I must say, I am a "thinker"...and sometimes that gets you into a wee bit of trouble. As my loving husband says...I think too much sometimes! Ha ha...to which I will agree! ;-) But as we've been trying to sift through this situation and see the light of it, the Lord has given us words of HOPE through several close family and friends of ours...(these messages have come from various people but all have a "common thread"...
1.) Have FAITH
2.) Our God is a God of the impossible that is going to make something possible...so have FAITH
3.) He is moving mountains right now out of your way...so have FAITH and HOPE
And then just this morning in my prayer and devotion time He gave me this scripture...(I'll give you two different versions b/c they speak equally and just as well)...
NIV ~ "Wait for the Lord; be STRONG and TAKE HEART and WAIT for the Lord" Psalms 27:14
Amplified ~ "Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord" Psalms 27:14
So with this we are as of now, waiting on Rwanda. We are not sure at this point how long it will be until the door is opened back up but our "hearts" are there with this country. We don't know what it will "look like or what procedures we will have to conform to" when it is opened back up, but we DO know that the Lord will be with us through the ENTIRE ordeal...so we will take heart and wait!
I did want to mention that the Lord has blessed some of the other "Mugisha Ministry" families and they were able to get their Dossiers to the Rwandan Embassy in D.C. yesterday before today's deadline! God has been moving mountains for them and our hearts go out to them and are SOO happy for them! We rejoice with them and can't wait to see God continue to move!
We love you ALL and are so grateful that you are standing behind us and agreeing in prayer for God to move our "little mountain"..!! And oh what a day that will be when we "Lift our eyes unto the hills of Rwanda" and "KNOW" that our God is a MIGHTY mountain mover!!!
We will continue to keep you updated as we know more!
Our love,
Marissa and Kevin (and Malachi) <3
Holding your arms up in prayer! We serve a great God!!
ReplyDeleteI believe this verse is for you, as I was immediately drawn to it, after reading your blog.
ReplyDeleteIn Hebrews 11:1-2 it states: "What is Faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead." (living bible translation). Hang on to God's promises. Love you!