What a day!

What a day today has been!  Started out typically -- trying to wrangle the boys into this new school year schedule (which isn't going well so far!), checking e-mails for anything new on the auction, checking Facebook for anything new on Sasha, but then . . . pow!  A message comes over Facebook that tells me we only have until the end of October to get our dossier to EE country.  Apparently, they stop taking dossiers from Nov - Feb -- and if we wait until Feb, all of our paperwork will need to be re-done.  I'm definitely the type to get things rolling, but I have to admit that I was overwhelmed for a few hours.  Right now, I still don't know if our home study is even done!  I also know that immigration can be a long wait.

But then . . . God.  He stepped in and provided some really encouraging news from friends who have gone before me on this journey.  Help from a sweet woman whom I've never even met.  And the simple peace to walk this road with faith.

Some prayer requests for my praying friends:

1. Passport will come quickly
2. We will find favor with immigration and get it streamlined through (possible contacts)
3. God will heal some hurt feelings (sorry, can't give details on that)
4. Dossier papers will be done right -- the FIRST time!
5. That I can get auction plug-in working on our auction website
6. That Chick-Fil-A will let us host a Spirit Night for the two families!

Praises:
1. Do not need state seal on birth certificates!
2. "Duplicate passports" just means copies -- not LITERAL duplicate passports
3. Fund raising opportunity this Saturday at downtown market
4. Do not need visa to travel to country
5. Feature article will be written on 2 families for Hernando Times
6. Friends who will be double-checking all our forms!

Our Silent Auction

So in these last few days before I officially start school back up again (that is, if Isaac doesn't hit us), I've been frantically working on trying to get a silent auction going!  I'm very excited about this.  Our family is working with the Boyer family to bring our girls home!  You can read about the Boyer adoption on their blog at www.eightwasnotenough.blogspot.com (Click on the link under "Friends and Links."

We are asking for donations of products, services, or treasures.  Then, we will take these items and ask for bids!  It's a great way for people to donate and still receive something in return!  I'm even going to create a website (www.ouradoptionauction.org) where people can bid on-line -- AND I can link any services or products to the website or e-mail of the donor!

Do you have anything you can donate to our auction?  We would be so incredibly blessed by your donation!  Please e-mail me at bwylupek@yahoo.com if you have something you can give!

THANKS!!!

"Sasha"

This was it!  Officially, the first picture I saw of our new (future) daughter.  (She's the one on the right!)  Bless her heart, she was insistent on being a part of this picture, I'm sure!  This is the incredible Falvo family who have adopted 5, I think, and they were (still are, as of this post) "in country" adopting that little munchkin' on Maria's lap.

I have to admit.  I was just mesmerized!  Immediately after that picture, I saw this one:

Somehow, I just knew that little girl.  In the deepest part of my spirit, I knew her.  And I knew she was mine.  It was as if I had already looked at her face 1000 times, like my own children's faces.  And I knew she belong here with us.

But that would not be an easy task (or so I thought!).  I had been wanting to adopt for about 5 years.  I truly had a heart for orphans, but I am not a single woman!  I am married with 3 young children of my own, and I know that God would not lead me to do something that my husband was not also led to do.  For the last 5 years, my husband hadn't been.  Well, to his credit, I should say that he had been willing, although somewhat reluctantly, to walk down this path if it was clear that God was directing us to do so.  There were several other children that we prayed about and gathered information on.  But by the time we really felt like we could do it, the child was gone.  Which was OK -- it's all about getting them out of an orphanage and into a forever family.  But each time, it got a little harder to believe that it truly was God's will for us to pursue an adoption.

I had actually reached the point where I believed that it was probably not going to happen.  I looked for other ways to give to children in orphanages and other families adopting.

And then, I saw her.  I can't begin to explain in any way that would make any sense except to perhaps someone who has been through this same experience.  But I just knew.  I knew.  But would Quincy?

The only thing I could do would be to simply show him her picture.  It had been well over a year since we last considered adoption.  He said, "Uh huh."  I know - not much to go on, but I decided it would become a matter of prayer for me.  Over the next day or so, he began asking questions about her.  He said that he was willing to once again begin praying about adoption and getting more information.  I sent him a blog post that changed his was of thinking completely (well, it was really the Holy Spirit that changed his thinking) -- and 48 hours later, he was fully committed.  Not just committed -- but, her daddy.  God. still. moves.

So, we are now "matched" with this little sweetie.  She has a few developmental delays and she has epilepsy.  These are issues that we are completely inexperienced with -- so we are trusting God to give us wisdom.  There are always snags that could prevent us from actually being able to bring her home, but it won't be because of us!  In the next weeks and months, we'll post information about fund raisers -- so please keep coming back!  And please keep us in your prayers!  And here are just a few more pics: