A PLEA FOR HELP!!!!

That title sounds pretty desperate, eh?  Well, I guess it is.  I'm desperate for each of you to lift up a request for us.  It's not a life or death matter, but it is a matter of whether we will be able to adopt the little boy with cerebral palsy in Haiti that God has led us to.  Let me explain.......

God is leading Robert and I to adopt possibly 2 little boys from Haiti:  one that is healthy and that we don't have any specifics on and the other has cerebral palsy and we know him personally.  For a few years, God has been leading and working in my heart in regards to special needs children.  I have developed a passion, love and strong desire to adopt a special needs child.  Is it because I have experience with special needs? NO.  Is it because it's something that I've always wanted?  NO.  Is it because I have lots of patience and feel confident in my ability to deal with problems?  DEFINITELY NOT.  But I have a desire and passion that I can only  say comes from a God who says that "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" and that "when I am weak, He is strong".  That, honestly, is the only way I can explain this crazy love and passion for a child who will be dependent on us for the rest of our lives.

So what's the problem, you ask?  Glad you asked! :)  As representatives of a mission board, we have been given permission to adopt and are even encouraged to do so.  But, we've been told concerning the adoption of a special needs child, when returning to the states in a few years for our stateside assignment, we may not be given medical clearance to return to Canada with a special needs child.  Would that mean a reassignment for us or termination?  We've been told that either could be a possibility.

Fortunately,  we're not in this position yet, but we feel that God has spoken to us about adopting a special needs child.  So what do we do?  That is where each of you come in.

Our mission board/employer requested further exams on our special needs child in Haiti so that they would know what they would be dealing with if we adopted him.  A Haitian doctor did a thorough exam with blood tests to check for all the major illnesses.  Thankfully, he tested negative on everything but he does have Spastic Quadraplegic Cerebral Palsy.  I received this official written report from Haiti on Friday evening.

On Monday, I will send the report to our mission doctors and they will make a decision based on his condition right now on whether they would allow us to return to Canada after our stateside assignment.

I'm pleading with each of you, my friends and family, to pray that God leads the doctors to make the right decision based on God's will for this little boy.  Please pray that the doctors truly seek God for this decision. Please pray also that when Robert and I hear the decision, we will know where to go from there.

********After reading this post, I may have given the impression that I am angry or frustrated with our employer/mission board.  That is not the case!  I have respect and deeply appreciate the mission board we work for and with.  They have prayerfully made decisions about guidelines and policies.  I just want God's will to be done in this situation because I know that we serve a God who is big enough to work through limitations, weaknesses and even little boys with cerebral palsy.


Thank you so much for your help and I will keep you posted!!!