The Details

When John and I first started our adoption process, an adoptive mama friend told me to never put God in a box. She said He has a way of surprising you when you least expect it and can bring you children from anywhere if you keep your heart open.
I have always kept her advice in the back of my mind. When I started my current job, I even wondered if maybe, just maybe, my children were at the Mission. (Don't get me wrong...I firmly believe that we have kiddos in Ethiopia! We will wait, however long it takes, to bring them home!)
About 2 months ago a coworker approached me because one of our clients was pregnant and had come to her numerous times because she wanted to put her baby up for adoption. My coworker knew that John and I were unable to have children and had been waiting out the long process of international adoption. She asked if we would be interested in adopting the baby.
I pretty much blew off the idea. There were a thousand reasons why it could never happen - she was a client, I was a staff member. How would John and I afford a second adoption? We were still about $5,000 short for our Ethiopian adoption. I had no idea how to even begin a private domestic adoption. It's a whole different ballgame than international.
I told my coworker that I would talk to John about the possibility of us pursuing the adoption, but deep down I just didn't see how it could work. God had different plans.
The following week my heart was so burdened for this young girl. She was young, living alone at a homeless shelter and wanted desperately to find a family for her baby. I spent a lot of time praying and crying that week - asking God what we were supposed to do. I was driving to work one morning and I believe 100% that the holy spirit whispered to my heart - that baby is your child.
You can imagine my conversation with the Lord.
"Okay God, but how will be ever afford it?
God reminded me of the amount we had in our adoption account and that we would be able to claim the adoption tax credit and refund ourselves the money, which we could then use to finish our Ethiopian adoption. 
My next question was "how do we even begin this process?" The birth mom wants to go through a private attorney and not an agency. I had no clue how to find an attorney - thankfully I go to church with one and he just happened to inform me that I also go to church with an attorney who does private adoptions. I gave her a call.
The pieces of the puzzle kept falling into place - the adoption would only cost $2500 and the cost to update our home study.
The next hurdle was determining if we could even pursue this adoption since I am a staff member and the birth mom is a client. I prayed and prayed and prayed. I went to our president and he gave me his blessing - there was just one glitch...we had to get the boards approval. Guess what?? We did! The only stipulation (and our attorney had already told us the same thing) the birth mom had to have her own attorney to represent her.
Can you see why I believe with my WHOLE heart that this is a story that only God could weave together?
I get to go with the birth mom on September 13th to find out what the baby is! People have been asking me if I want a boy or a girl and I can honestly say that I don't care! I am going to about pee my pants no matter what the baby is.
I am completely blown away by God's hand in all of this. There are still a few obstacles that we face. We know that until she has the baby and signs her rights away she can change her mind. We are also still waiting for her to get an attorney so that we can start the paperwork process. Please pray she gets legal representation soon. It's SO important that she has it.
Despite some of the hurdles we still face, I believe that this adoption is God ordained. I believe He saw this child long before it was ever formed in the birth mother's womb and has a perfect plan for that child. Part of that plan is for John and I to be its parents.
Please pray for the birth mom - she is dealing with a lot and I can't imagine being in her shoes - having to make the decision to give her child up for adoption. I have so much respect for her and her desire to give her child a better future.
We are SO excited - our families are SO excited - and we can't wait for the arrival of this little miracle. Christmas is coming early in the Linck house!