in awe

{Please forgive the lengthy post. Keep reading. It's worth it!}

Last Wednesday Trey and I had planned on going to Benihana's for dinner to celebrate our birthdays. (FYI, if you sign up for Benihana's chef's table they will send you a $30 gift certificate the month of your birthday. Both our birthdays are in August, so we ate for a total of 18 whole dollars!) Little did we know we would be celebrating for a whole different reason.

It seems like since we started this adoption journey, we've done nothing but hurry up and wait. Ugh. I just remember my not so pretty moments being angry at the Lord. Wondering why we were in the same spot it seemed we'd been in for the last 2 years. Waiting. Oh, but my Lord is forever faithful. I'm sure in all that time He was whispering to me, "Be patient, my love. I have not forsaken you. Trust. Be faithful. Know I am the Great I Am. Know I have plans for you. - Jeremiah 29:11. Abide in Me. Don't use this time I am giving you in vain. Grow in Me." This last Wednesday, my ever faithful, loving, big, big God showed Himself to Trey and I in a big, big way!

We've been trying to plan our first trip. This is the trip where we will stay at the orphanage, serve, and spend time with the children there. This is the trip we hope to bond, connect, and fall in love with our child. On August 10th we mailed all our paperwork to the orphanage director. We wanted everything to be in line and okay'd by the time we traveled. The orphanage received our paperwork on the 15th and we were told they would get back in contact with us once they had a chance to look everything over. So, we waited. for what seemed like for.ever. I emailed them back on the 22nd to make sure everything was there they needed and to see if there was anything else they needed from us. We expected to get a response in the next couple of days telling us when it would be best for them to have us come serve. Instead, we received a response with these words:

Trey and Bridgette,
We are pleased to tell you that you have successfully been matched with a child.

Say whhhaattt?!?!? We've been matched?!? We have a son?!? Trenner has the brother he's longed for.prayed for.wished for?!? I might have screamed. Trey might have thought I saw a mouse run across the floor. I might have read over the email 103950 times before it sank in. And then I prayed. Oh, I thanked my Savior for loving me. I thanked Him for going so above and beyond anything I expected. I thanked Him for being faithful. I thanked Him for being Him. This is nothing short of a miracle. This is the work of God and nothing else. I felt Him saying to me "I am here. I always have been. Let me prove it to you." And He did even though He didn't have to. And I stand in awe of Him.


You are probably full of questions just like we were are.
Does this mean there won't be a first trip?- We are praying about this question. Technically, we don't have to travel, but we are longing to meet our child and the people loving on him while we can't. So, we're praying.


What's his name and how old his he?- Please be understanding when I say I cannot reveal anything about him. We are still in the VERY early stages and have lots of obstacles to overcome. Thankfully, we have a big God who works in big ways, so we aren't worried. However, we cannot and will not do anything to jeopardise this process. So, for now we will call him 'love'.


Why is this going differently then what you thought it would?- Welp, all I can say is God. and it's adoption. No two adoption processes ever go the same. We knew going into this that ours would be different than anyone else's. Kinda like giving birth. everyone has their own birth story and this is ours.


As you can imagine, we are on cloud nine right now. There is a lot of work to do. There is a bit of money to be raised. Thankfully we have a fundraiser going on right now. Go here to check it out and know even a $20 t-shirt brings us a big step closer to bringing our Love home. Annnd, we have a few more in the works. Stay tuned. We need to raise close to $7,000. Thankfully, to God, that number is so tiny and we are resting in Him knowing it will be provided through fundraising, selfless hearts, and cut backs on our end.


We thank you in advance for any support you are able and willing to give. We ask for prayers for our sweet Love. We ask for prayers as we are filling out a bazillion papers. We ask for prayers about our funding. We ask for prayers about traveling and having to leave Trenner. 


For now, we are standing in awe. With our hands lifted high in praise. 

If faith can move the mountains
Let the mountains move
We come with expectation
Waiting here for You, waiting here for YouYou're the Lord of all creation
And still You know my heart
The Author of Salvation
You've loved us from the start

Waiting here for You
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it's You we adore
Singing Alleluia

You are everything You've promised
Your faithfulness is true
And we're desperate for Your presence
All we need is You

Singing Alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia