Dear Esther Joy,
i find myself constantly smiling at the thought of
holding you in my arms in less than one week. i hope you already know in your
heart how much you are loved. i want to take a minute to tell your story [this
is the short version] about how you have been born in my heart. i desire to be
a good steward of all the gifts God has given our family - you are certainly one
of those wonderful gifts! I believe God is calling me to be a good steward of
our story - He has given us our children and done amazing things to bring all of
you into our family and I know the story isn't just for us....it is for others
as well. I pray your story, Esther Joy, brings hope and joy to those who hear
it.
One year ago - at my first "home church" experience - God
dramatically restored my JOY and began bringing me out of a dark place that I
had been in for a while - I will save these details for when you get older and I
am praying about how God may want me to share some of this with others believing
that the healing I experienced is what He has in mind for many!
Shortly after that night of prayer I had a dream. I don't
often remember my dreams, but when I do they are usually profound and leave me
wondering if there is some deeper meaning behind them. In this dream - God gave
me a name - Esther Joy. i believe i knew on some level that He was telling me
about our daughter, but we thought our family was
complete....
From that moment - i prayed for you daily and the
question of who Esther Joy would be replayed in my mind over and over.
The new school year started with our 3 children at home. I got
busy and though your name stayed with me - I really thought I would be CRAZY to
even think about adding another child to our household. God was working on me
in so many ways. A couple months before this, in a conversation with the local
agency that helped us adopt your brothers from Haiti, we realized that the
Chinese coordinator that placed Lily in my arms in 2003 was now working with our
local agency. I emailed the China coordinator, also named Lily, to see if in
fact she was the same person. She emailed back right away and remembered us -
she wrote, "let me know when you are ready for your next daughter from China" --
I laughed.
In early October, our adoption agency called us -
they told me about several children on the special needs list that they were
trying to place in families. I committed to praying for those children - one of
which was you! On November 8, 2010 - the Titus Task sponsored an Orphan
Awareness event at the Community Building here in Siloam Springs. We played a
video that spoke of China's special needs program and the need for more
families. I looked at your Daddy and knew - after all that praying we had been
doing for other families hearts to be moved to pursue adoption - it was our
hearts that were once again being opened for a sweet baby girl.
The next morning our adoption agency called -- they told us
they were calling again about the children they were trying to place. They said
that Lily in China specifically thought of our family for you. They were giving
us one more chance to make you our own. God had been so patiently guiding us
toward you, Esther Joy. You are Esther
Joy - the sweet baby girl in my dream - the symbolic gift of
God's restoration of my joy in Him for such a time as this! That day Daddy and
I went to a global prayer meeting and in the car when we made our decision to
bring you into our family as our very own we saw a break in the clouds shaped as
a circle with a rainbow of colors in the middle. God does keep His promises.
There will be much to tell you when you are older,
Esther...about the reasons for my heavy heart and the hard times waiting on your
brothers...and someday I will tell you about your brother Titus and our 6 other
babies that went to Heaven before we met them. But for now - I am watching
God's redemption...His plan to reveal the fullness of JOY in our lives. It is
sweet.
He is in ALL THE DETAILS -
Exactly one
year to the day from that home church meeting will be the day we first hold
you!
I believe God has given us such a gift with your adoption - from the
date we decided to adopt you -- if this were a pregnancy -- my due date would be
the date we were given for your Consulate Appointment in China - when your
adoption will be final! Isn't God awesome?!
Our community of
family and wonderful friends has been so generous and God provided for half of
our adoption through their generosity in the last month!
Our
God - He is good, He is GREAT, HE IS LOVE!
Daddy and I pray -
that like your name you will be FULL of JOY - that it will be OVERFLOWING to
others and result in praise, honor, and glory to our Lord Jesus Christ.
In
less than a week - we will hold you. We all love you so
much!
You are a gift to our
family!
Love,
Mommy
i find myself constantly smiling at the thought of
holding you in my arms in less than one week. i hope you already know in your
heart how much you are loved. i want to take a minute to tell your story [this
is the short version] about how you have been born in my heart. i desire to be
a good steward of all the gifts God has given our family - you are certainly one
of those wonderful gifts! I believe God is calling me to be a good steward of
our story - He has given us our children and done amazing things to bring all of
you into our family and I know the story isn't just for us....it is for others
as well. I pray your story, Esther Joy, brings hope and joy to those who hear
it.
One year ago - at my first "home church" experience - God
dramatically restored my JOY and began bringing me out of a dark place that I
had been in for a while - I will save these details for when you get older and I
am praying about how God may want me to share some of this with others believing
that the healing I experienced is what He has in mind for many!
Shortly after that night of prayer I had a dream. I don't
often remember my dreams, but when I do they are usually profound and leave me
wondering if there is some deeper meaning behind them. In this dream - God gave
me a name - Esther Joy. i believe i knew on some level that He was telling me
about our daughter, but we thought our family was
complete....
From that moment - i prayed for you daily and the
question of who Esther Joy would be replayed in my mind over and over.
The new school year started with our 3 children at home. I got
busy and though your name stayed with me - I really thought I would be CRAZY to
even think about adding another child to our household. God was working on me
in so many ways. A couple months before this, in a conversation with the local
agency that helped us adopt your brothers from Haiti, we realized that the
Chinese coordinator that placed Lily in my arms in 2003 was now working with our
local agency. I emailed the China coordinator, also named Lily, to see if in
fact she was the same person. She emailed back right away and remembered us -
she wrote, "let me know when you are ready for your next daughter from China" --
I laughed.
In early October, our adoption agency called us -
they told me about several children on the special needs list that they were
trying to place in families. I committed to praying for those children - one of
which was you! On November 8, 2010 - the Titus Task sponsored an Orphan
Awareness event at the Community Building here in Siloam Springs. We played a
video that spoke of China's special needs program and the need for more
families. I looked at your Daddy and knew - after all that praying we had been
doing for other families hearts to be moved to pursue adoption - it was our
hearts that were once again being opened for a sweet baby girl.
The next morning our adoption agency called -- they told us
they were calling again about the children they were trying to place. They said
that Lily in China specifically thought of our family for you. They were giving
us one more chance to make you our own. God had been so patiently guiding us
toward you, Esther Joy. You are Esther
Joy - the sweet baby girl in my dream - the symbolic gift of
God's restoration of my joy in Him for such a time as this! That day Daddy and
I went to a global prayer meeting and in the car when we made our decision to
bring you into our family as our very own we saw a break in the clouds shaped as
a circle with a rainbow of colors in the middle. God does keep His promises.
There will be much to tell you when you are older,
Esther...about the reasons for my heavy heart and the hard times waiting on your
brothers...and someday I will tell you about your brother Titus and our 6 other
babies that went to Heaven before we met them. But for now - I am watching
God's redemption...His plan to reveal the fullness of JOY in our lives. It is
sweet.
He is in ALL THE DETAILS -
Exactly one
year to the day from that home church meeting will be the day we first hold
you!
I believe God has given us such a gift with your adoption - from the
date we decided to adopt you -- if this were a pregnancy -- my due date would be
the date we were given for your Consulate Appointment in China - when your
adoption will be final! Isn't God awesome?!
Our community of
family and wonderful friends has been so generous and God provided for half of
our adoption through their generosity in the last month!
Our
God - He is good, He is GREAT, HE IS LOVE!
Daddy and I pray -
that like your name you will be FULL of JOY - that it will be OVERFLOWING to
others and result in praise, honor, and glory to our Lord Jesus Christ.
In
less than a week - we will hold you. We all love you so
much!
You are a gift to our
family!
Love,
Mommy
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