News Flash!

Amazing! Our old agency, Acres of Hope actually sent our refund and complete dossier back! There are MANY people who were told they're not getting any money back (and they've sent more in than what we had) and many who are not getting their paperwork returned. I sent our letter via email as well as snail mail. It took only a WEEK to get our dossier returned to us. It probably helped that I tried to be as friendly as possible in my letter. I also didn't want to post much on here until I received it!

With that said, we withdrew for many reasons. Red flags started going up when more and more people began withdrawing from the agency. Then what I thought was a 'key player' in the agency, Donna, quit. Then people were getting kicked out of our yahoo group! I brushed it all aside until after Christmas and then the Lord nudged me to pursue the issues. Finding out that the agency is not using their funds as they state they are, that they're lying to families and saying that children have been relinquished when they haven't, and that they've even lied on medical reports were some of the many things I discovered. Also, they have increased their fees dramatically since July! Doesn't that send up red flags??? There is more than that, but those were some of the bigger red flags when I heard it all. I felt like I'd hit a brick wall when I heard the news. How could this be? Everybody had raved about this agency! When I told Zach he was furious and said I needed to immediately write a letter to get our dossier and refund back.

The same day I found out this information I was told about another agency, Adopt International. I called the number I was given and actually talked to the director herself, Candace O'Brien! I've never once talked to the director of AoH! Candace was so friendly and answered all of my questions. She answers emails when you have questions. After talking to her and reading about this agency we sent in our application. I'm pretty certain that the Lord has led us to this agency.

We have not lost faith in this journey. We know the Lord will lead us to our daughter, we are so confident of it no matter what roadblocks there may be. With our daughters (we have only one so far) we'd like their middle names to be 'fruits of the spirit'. Princess' is Joy. I'm thinking this little girl will have the middle name of Faith. Adoption is stepping out in faith in the Lord. When we began we didn't know where we'd be 6 months from then, where we'd get the funds or anything. But we didn't fear. We stepped out in faith, got both feet wet and have been splashing in the pool of adoption ever since. Some may think you need to wait until the Lord provides the money, which could be years down the road. We were even told, "How do you know somebody won't walk up to you on the street and hand you $10,000?" We don't know, but are we supposed to idly sit by waiting for that to happen, meanwhile allowing more and more children to suffer the pangs of hunger and disease? I don't believe that is the case. Our Example, Jesus didn't lounge around waiting for things to happen- He MADE them happen!

I thank you all for your continued prayers. I thank those of you who shared the truth in love, even when it went against the 'flow' to open our eyes. And I'm also thankful to those of you I've met through this journey~ I believe we have bonds that will never be broken.