*Dreams

The last week I have found myself anxiously awaiting our agency's Vietnam program newsletter that they send out monthly. In the past several months, it just shows up in my email inbox unexpectedly and I enjoy reading it. But now that we are officially waiting, I will probably cling to these more and more. The main reason I am interested now is because it usually updates the expected wait time, and communicates the number of families that received referrals last month, and how many picked up their children.

Last week after hearing from some other waiting families what number they are on the waiting list, I hastily sent an email off to our caseworker to see about how many total are waiting in our program (knowing that since we just got on the list, we are likely last). She replied that there are 39 families waiting, most of them for girls. So, we are number 39. That's a lot, but I'm hoping it is comparable to other agencies who have families who were at about the same point as us through the paperwork, around 15th or 20th. Our agency works with more orphanages than most, so maybe they get more referrals, and we'll move along at a comparable rate? Not sure though. 39th isn't real encouraging, but I'm glad I know now and can prepare myself for quite a journey ahead.

On a different note, I am really enjoying my women's Bible study through church right now. The book we are going through is "You Matter More Than You Think" by Dr. Leslie Parrott. I highly recommend this book. The chapter I just read is about your dreams, and no matter how old you are, we must recognize and follow our dreams. This is a way that God often guides us - through our passions, desires and dreams. One quotation she shared was from Langston Hughes: "Hold fast to your dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly." Leslie says "it is in pursuing our dreams that we move from becoming a half - a person who is waiting in the wings for something, - to a whole." When pursuing our dreams, we become who God created us to be. "The eventual pain that results from not dreaming - for fear of being disappointed by an unrealized dream - will always eclipse the pain of a dream that never comes true."

I think in the last few years I have settled into a comfortable life, and given up some of the dreams I had while in college. In the last year, however, God has made me realize a passion that I've always had, and got me thinking about what to do with it. I think my dream is to love orphans. I know I will do that through adopting our daughter, but I envision going to orphans overseas and serving, loving, touching, providing, living with them. But, I am also starting to envision becoming foster parents here and doing the same with the orphans (and children with parents who can't care for them) in our own city. I'm not sure what God has planned specifically, but I hope and pray I am faithful to follow this dream of somehow helping more orphans. I love them already!

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." -Psalm 37:4

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." -Romans 15:13