More than we could have imagined...

Don't you just love it when you know God is trying to tell you something?!  We've been blessed to experience this recently.  Last month my friend, Amber, texted me saying that she was praying Ephesians 3:20 for Elijah.  

Two days later as I was reading my Bible, I came across the verse again.  I've always loved this verse.  I absolutely love the idea that God is able to do more than we can even IMAGINE, more than we could even think to ask.  That amazes me.  The next day, the verse was mentioned in church.  I chuckled and told Sven that I thought God was trying to tell me something.  I began praying this verse as well - asking Him to do more than we could ask or imagine.  I was thinking (and hoping!) that this may answered by getting Elijah home at sonic speed. ;)

While we still pray that we can go get him as soon as possible, we are amazed at what God has already done and just had to share it with you. Elijah's birthday is estimated as August 19 (very fun since all of our other kids are also born on odd days of the month).  We sure do love to celebrate birthdays around here and the thought of my son celebrating his first birthday without his family kind of breaks my heart.  There are people in China whom you can hire to deliver cakes/gifts and take pictures of your child in the orphanage.  Unfortunately, our agency really discourages doing this.  I called them to see just how strongly they discourage it because I REALLY wanted to do this for him.  After getting off of the phone with the agency, I was discussing the situation with my friend, Jeni.  I mentioned that Harmony House (Elijah's foster home) seems so nice that I wondered if they would really mind.  She volunteered to send an email to Harmony Outreach (since we were told not to contact the foster home directly) to find out if it would be ok to send a birthday cake to a child (she kept it very vague).  She texted me soon after, saying, "You are going to be sooooo excited!"  She was right!

They knew who she was talking about w/o even mentioning his name or birthdate.  We are able to send money directly to them and they'll have a little party for him.  The director of the ministry is going to China at the end of the month and volunteered to take anything with him that I'd like to send.  They have gotten me in contact with people who know our little guy and have pictures from their recent visits to the home.  Rumor has it there is even a recent video of him just giggling and laughing.  That brings tears to my eyes just typing that.  I pray we can see that soon.  I cannot wait to see him in motion and hear his voice!!  It has been amazing to hear from people who know our little guy.  

And it gets better.  While we have spent months praying that our son would be in a place where he is safe, fed and even loved, these amazing people have prayed that this boy would be placed in a home where he will be loved and taught about Jesus.  How amazing that they were the answer to our prayers and we were the answer to theirs.  Only God.

One more thing: we were expecting that our little guy would need to have a couple of surgeries after we bring him home.  They mentioned that his heart condition should not require surgery and that they had paid to have his other surgeries done in December.  I was stunned.  I asked Sven to read the email and see if I was reading it correctly.  All of his surgeries were completed?!  We understand that anything can change, and more may be required later, but we are still so very grateful.  So, so grateful.