Adoption Saga Part Six (Part I Here)
The spring of 2017 felt very busy. We lead busy lives but as the time drew near and we were making preparations for Edith's coming, there just seemed to be so much to do and I felt like the word busy was an understatement. We planned on hosting two pizza nights at our home to give people the flexibility to come when they needed to. Todd spoke with local churches that we are in contact with and we were able to set up time for Edith to speak at Redeemer Eastside the Sunday she was here. We also had meetings for her with friends and leaders. She was flying in on a Thursday and leaving the following Monday.
We were also hopeful to be able to raise a lot of money for the overcrowded Home of Hope and did what we could to spread the word. We had several meetings for her, a few speaking engagements and places for her to attend. Looking at the schedule the most time we had to just sit down and talk with her was right after she arrived. When she came Thursday afternoon, we loved her right away and she loved meeting our family, but what surprised her the most was Vivien. She didn't know that we had a child with special needs and it was clear that she was enamored with Vivien from the moment she met her.
Edith didn't know that we were going to approach her about adoption, but what we didn't know (and found out later) was that Edith was planning and praying about asking us something as well. Edith was looking for someone to start a board for Home of Hope. Someone who would establish a US presence for Home of Hope and give a means for a 501c3 status. She didn't know us but she had been praying and asking God if we were the ones that she should ask. She said that when she saw Vivien, she knew we were the ones.
The amazing thing is, as the weekend went on Todd was starting to talk and think about offering to help somehow with Home of Hope here in the US. We just weren't sure about all that would entail.
But as we sat down to chat that afternoon, we heard more of Edith's story. I know that I have chronicled some of it here but I will summarize again for you. Edith has several children, but when her son Derek was just a baby he contracted a sickness that left him with hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy and severe special needs. As you may have heard, in Uganda when children have special needs, they are considered curses. Many think they are demon possessed and often the mothers and families and those who care for them are shunned and looked down upon. Many told her she should send him away to a home but Edith loved her son and cared for him. The story is much longer, full of miracles and God's working, but eventually Edith started caring for other children with special needs. Just a few. But then people started dropping off children and babies with special needs at her house - abandoning them on the grounds. Home of Hope was born from this.
We were talking more specifically about her son Derek. He lived 14 years and she loved him dearly. She shared more about his life and his death. Even the circumstances surrounding Derek's death, were quite amazing and miraculous. God's comfort was clear and He showed her his love through it. But as we were talking about Derek's death, I was asking her how long ago it was. He died in 2014 and I asked her about the time of year. She said it was September of 2014. I inquired more about the date and as we talked we realized that the day of Derek's funeral, the day they buried him, was the day that Vivien was born.
We of sat back in awe and realized that God was connecting us inexplicably with Edith, Derek and Home of Hope in many ways. After she told much of her story, we sat down with her and began to tell her some of our story of praying to meet her and a bit of the backstory of God talking with us separately and together about the possibility of adoption. Todd came to the conclusion of our story and asked her if she had ever considered allowing one of the children from Home of Hope to be adopted and would she think about adopting one to us.
Edith sat back and said, "No one has ever asked to adopt one of my kids before. God has spoken to you and now I need to pray and ask Him to speak to me about this." But she told us that even when we were sharing with her, she kept getting a picture in her head of the face of a little three year old boy with cerebral palsy at her home named Joseph.
As the weekend went on and Edith spoke several times, telling the story of how the Lord moved her to begin home of hope. The last day, before she left, I asked her what she thought about the possibility and she said that she had been praying and definitely felt a peace about moving forward with pursuing adoption, when we were ready. We also told her when she asked that we would be willing to do what we could to give Home of Hope a U.S. presence.
After she went home from Uganda, we continued to pray about the next steps. While it seemed clear that God was leading toward helping Home of Hope as a whole, forming a board and moving forward toward that, Todd still was hesitant with jumping in and beginnning a Ugandan adoption.....
But as we sat down to chat that afternoon, we heard more of Edith's story. I know that I have chronicled some of it here but I will summarize again for you. Edith has several children, but when her son Derek was just a baby he contracted a sickness that left him with hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy and severe special needs. As you may have heard, in Uganda when children have special needs, they are considered curses. Many think they are demon possessed and often the mothers and families and those who care for them are shunned and looked down upon. Many told her she should send him away to a home but Edith loved her son and cared for him. The story is much longer, full of miracles and God's working, but eventually Edith started caring for other children with special needs. Just a few. But then people started dropping off children and babies with special needs at her house - abandoning them on the grounds. Home of Hope was born from this.
We were talking more specifically about her son Derek. He lived 14 years and she loved him dearly. She shared more about his life and his death. Even the circumstances surrounding Derek's death, were quite amazing and miraculous. God's comfort was clear and He showed her his love through it. But as we were talking about Derek's death, I was asking her how long ago it was. He died in 2014 and I asked her about the time of year. She said it was September of 2014. I inquired more about the date and as we talked we realized that the day of Derek's funeral, the day they buried him, was the day that Vivien was born.
We of sat back in awe and realized that God was connecting us inexplicably with Edith, Derek and Home of Hope in many ways. After she told much of her story, we sat down with her and began to tell her some of our story of praying to meet her and a bit of the backstory of God talking with us separately and together about the possibility of adoption. Todd came to the conclusion of our story and asked her if she had ever considered allowing one of the children from Home of Hope to be adopted and would she think about adopting one to us.
Edith sat back and said, "No one has ever asked to adopt one of my kids before. God has spoken to you and now I need to pray and ask Him to speak to me about this." But she told us that even when we were sharing with her, she kept getting a picture in her head of the face of a little three year old boy with cerebral palsy at her home named Joseph.
After she went home from Uganda, we continued to pray about the next steps. While it seemed clear that God was leading toward helping Home of Hope as a whole, forming a board and moving forward toward that, Todd still was hesitant with jumping in and beginnning a Ugandan adoption.....
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