For many years I have prayed for a woman of wisdom to come into my
life. Many of you know this as I have often voiced it. This past month, God
answered my prayer.
Soon after I moved to Africa I met a woman by the name of Jenny.
She is a wife to Josh and mom to Harper, August and Silas (all of which are
still back in America). Also, she is mom to Rose (who is in Uganda).
In the midst of planting a church, Jenny and her husband Josh felt
called to adopt and quickly began taking action. During the beginning stages...
surprise! Jenny was pregnant. They could have just decided to not adopt, but
when you hear God’s voice you hear God’s voice.... so they kept on truckin'.
Because international adoption is tricky and slow... Jenny had Silas before Rose could be adopted.
This left Jenny here in Uganda for the past six weeks on a mission
to finalize things and bring Rose home. She had to leave her entire family,
including five-month old Silas, at home. This alone is enough to break my
heart. I can't imagine.
I have often told Jenny, that as much as I hate it for her that
she is away from her family, God has blessed me big time allowing her to be
here with me. In a very short time she has taught me so much about being a
wife, mom, and child of God. She is selfless and a servant. She is obedient and
patient. In the midst of a lot of hard days, she is constantly finding ways to
encourage me.
One day Jenny said, "It has been my prayer through this entire
process that the will of God be done. So whatever happens, I will be glad about
it." She also explained to me that often we pray that God would improve
us, yet we don't expect situations where we are able to use those improvements
granted by Him. Jenny used the example of praying for patience. She prayed for patience.
"And if that means I am here another year, I am ok with it," she
said. These are just two examples that testify to the kind of woman she
is.
All of that comes down to this, yesterday the passport was denied
in court for Rose. Yes, she was upset... but today her head is held high and
she is full of joy even though this means at minimum another month in Uganda.
It means another month away from her family. It means another month away from
her five-month old baby boy.
We often say that adoption is a perfect picture of redemption.
That is true, but we view adoption as a beautiful and exciting thing when often
it isn't. Adoption is VERY expensive and VERY messy.
Likewise, the story of redemption isn't a pretty one. God adopted
us as His children, but to do so He had to give His only Son to die for us. His
Son died a bloody, ugly, unfair death in our place so that we might be forgiven
of our sins. Our redemption was VERY expensive - it cost our Savior His life.
Our redemption was VERY messy - it meant our Savior would die a bloody death on
the cross.
Here is the good news. Both have a happy ending. Because of the
suffering of Jesus, we were reconciled with our Father, and adopted as His own.
Likewise, Rose will one day be reconciled with her new family and called their
own. Adoption truly is a perfect picture of redemption.
But, Josh and Jenny still have a lot of the expensive and messy
part of their journey left.
I am asking that you dedicate some time to pray for this family; this
family who has dedicated all that they are to glorify God, even when that means
suffering. Pray that the next step of this process leads to the reunion of
their family. And while they are trusting God to provide even though it seems
impossible, pray that God provides for them financially as they are now faced
with A LOT more cost than they ever could have imagined.
Also, if you would like to give to help this family, you can do
that HERE.! $1, $10, $100, $1000. Anything
helps.
Also, feel free to share this need with others. Their need is big,
but so is our God who we trust will provide for them! Maybe God will use us to
provide!
xoxo,
Jordan
But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father."
- Galations 4:4-6
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