It's a God thing...

This is how our journey began~
On September 8th 1996, I fell in love with what would be my future husband. Jim Bob and I knew each other ever since kindergarten but never explored a relationship other than friends until I was just about to turn 16. The rest is history. We have been together for 16 years and have been married for almost 10 years. We have two very precious, rambunctious little boys. Hunter is 7 and Ethan is 2 1/2. After Hunter, I had two miscarriages that were very devastating for us. Then came precious little Ethan. My pregnancy with Ethan was a very trying and uncertain pregnancy. I almost lost him around 13 weeks, but God was in control. Soon after Ethan was born we decided that pregnancy was not in our best interest anymore although we wanted more children. God was going to open our eyes in another direction.
This past summer our family took part in a missions program. With much planning and fundraising, 22 Ukrainian children came to Quest Haven Lodge in Tyrone for a hosting program. We felt as though our mission was just to pray for the children and pray for the camp. Little did Jim Bob and I know our lives would be changed forever. We were excited to help in anyway that we could with the camp. I had a chance to do some arts and crafts with the children and Jim Bob took the children on a fishing excursion. We looked forward to each new day spending time with the children. They were teaching us so much about life. Funny thing was, we thought that we were there to help them, but it was actually the children who taught us all something. Jim Bob and I began to feel emotions that we never thought we would be open to. We started to talk about adoption more and more. The time had come for the hosting camp to come to and end and there Jim Bob and I stood on the last day, crushed because God did not call us to adopt any of these precious children. We felt as though he was just telling us it is not our time. So we did not act on emotion and jump into the idea of adoption. One thing was certain, our hearts had become wide open to the idea of adoption from the camp. We drove home that last day of camp with tears in our hearts because we just had the longing feeling to adopt. God knew then that it wasn't our time and that we just had to be still in our quiet moment and wait. Slowly God was unfolding pieces to life's puzzle as to why we were not called to adopt at the camp. Earlier in the spring my mom was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. In June she went to Pittsburgh to have surgery performed to remove the tumor but the doctors decided to stop the surgery and proceed with chemo and radiation for a few months. She was then to come back in September to have the surgery performed again. While we were going through the host camp, we thought that mom was going to pull through the cancer with all the treatments that she had undergone. The host camp was over at the end of August and early September dad and I went back to Pittsburgh with mom to have the surgery again. As I sat in the pre-op. room with my mom we talked about different things and even would talk about the host camp. Let me take a step back a minute and tell you that she was so thrilled with the missions work that Jim Bob and I were doing. She would often call us every night to find out what the day was like at the camp. The most important part was that she supported Jim Bob and I with whatever decision we made about adoption. So as we sat in the room we reflected on many things and then it came time for her to go into surgery. Mom looked at me and said, "Mandy, I don't think the outcome is going to be very good. Just pray, but I am ok with whatever the outcome maybe." I prayed with her and then they took her back to start the surgery. I stood in the hallway with tears just streaming down my face. It was as if God was telling me to be prepared for what is to come. I knew in that moment that everything was in God's hands and that I had to be strong. Although Jim Bob and I kept praying about the adoption, I was thankful that God's answers were wiser than our prayers! Mom was right the surgery did not go as planned and once again they had to stop the procedure. We were called into this little room where the doctor came in and told us her fait. He told us that she would probably have a life expectancy of 6-12 months. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Later, after the words would sink in I kept thanking God for his quiet moment in our longing to adopt. I couldn't imagine going through this process knowing that I had just a few short precious months with my mom. My entire focus had to be on my mom and my family. My mom lived until God came and took her on December 10th 2010. I learned some of my most valuable life lessons in the last few months with my mom. She taught me so much about courage, love, patience and most of all, her strong faith. Lessons that have made me who I am today. Now that she is gone, I often think back to the adoption questions that Jim Bob and I still long for. I was so sure that God had told us no because my focus needed to be on my family and that the whole idea was passed us now. Well, God has been tapping us on the shoulder telling us...I am not finished with you yet.
Jim Bob and I started to pray together because we wanted to do what God was asking us to do. We would pray each night that God would give us direction as to what path he wanted us to take. There were two girls that we often thought about...they were to come on the hosting trip but were cut from the list last minute. We found ourselves looking for them on friends' blogs (who are in the adoption process) and wondering about them. We had expressed all of these emotions to a couple, who are dear friends of ours, and asked them to pray for us for God's clarity once again. As our friends (Cheri and Russi) travel time was approaching to go to Ukraine we had talked about maybe trying to skype with the two girls we were drawn to. Cheri emailed me and asked me where Jim Bob and I were on the adoption idea so she knew how to pray. As I said before, we were open but just didn't feel like we were hearing God....YET!
Later that week we had set up the chance to skype with Cheri and Russie (who would have the girls with them). We prayed that God would have his hand in this and that if this was supposed to happen, please let it happen. Russie said to be home on skype around 10am- noon our time...that they were going to do their best to make this happen. Jim Bob and I got up the next day and went to a benefit breakfast at the Church of the Good Shepherd and then went home. We found ourselves pacing the floors in anticipation. Then we heard the call from our computer and ran over to it like two kids at Christmas time. It was as if time stood still as we opened up the video chat. We got the chance to see the girls and say a few words to them...Let me add that the girls had no idea that we were praying for them and for God's guidance through all of this. For all they new, we were just another set of friends who wanted to see Vika and Anslee (the girls that Russie and Cherri adopted) and also talk to Cheri and Russie. It was in that moment that God told us...take my hand and take this leap of faith for I am with you. The conversation only lasted about 8 minutes but it is the moment that God had been preparing us for...his perfect moment to answer our prayers. At the end of the conversation with all of them...Nastya called me momma. I didn't hear this because I was talking to Cheri but Jim Bob and Russie heard it. God had told them to pick us as well!! Later that day Russie, Cheri, Mick and Janelle skyped with us to talk about God's divine moment. They all told us how the girls were just smiling ear to ear and how the just knew we were going to be their mamma and pappa. We had confirmed with Russie and Cheri that we were going to take this leap of faith and pursue adoption. Jim Bob and I don't know how this is all going to happen but we couldn't be happier to do God's plan!

"But if it were I , I would appeal to God; He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted." ~Job 5:8-9
Please pray for us as we start to write this new chapter in our lives.
~Mandy and Jim Bob