Slowly By Slowly-Negrete Adoption

As previously mentioned, Uganda is frustrated with the way that adoptions are taking place. For some judges, it has gotten to the place where they do not support international adoptions at all and rule that way in court. In some ways, our agency is working to repair relationships and to show the judges and other officials, that they want what is in the best interest of the child and Uganda.  Unfortunately, they are walking an uphill road but Ugandans are as a whole, very relational. Today please pray for: A continued open door into the conversations surrounding adoptions and orphan care in Uganda. Pray that everyone attending the meetings is focused on the orphan, poor and vulnerable. Pray all meetings can be solely about them and their best interest. Both parties want to care well for orphans. Pray that they can begin on this common ground and work positively together from there. Pray for a deepening of trust and relationships and a blending of ideas and concern...

Thank you thank you those of you who prayed for our agency yesterday. Please continue praying for safe traveling by car, taxi, bus, boda-boda! Today we would love for you to pray these things specifically: Uganda is a a very fluid place. One of my favorite things about Ugandans is that they are more concerned with people and events than timelines and appointments. This allows for awesome and stress free conversations. They fully invest in relationships rather than cutting it off for a previously made appointment.  However, you can imagine the difficulty this can create when important meetings need to take place. Today would you pray that two meetings are kept: 1. A meeting with Ugandan Judges (Most Ugandan judges are agains the Legal Guardianship that allows us to adopt. In some ways, it is easier to adopt internationally than it is to adopt domestically in Uganda and that makes. This is frustrating for Ugandan judges. We also imagine it makes them feel disrespected that...

Dear friends, leaders in our adoption agency leave today to evaluate whether or not ethical adoptions can continue in Uganda. We respect and appreciate our agency's commitment to ethics. We are proud to partner with an agency who is committed to doing it right or not at all! They will have jam packed days in Uganda meeting with the stakeholders of Ugandan adoption. We will be posting daily prayer requests to help focus our prayer each day. Will you join us? Check back daily, every morning we will be giving another prayer request which our agency has helped us to focus on. For today: Please pray for safe travel for our agency leaders. Pray they are able to rest on the long flights and have the energy to hit the ground running. Please pray for quick and easy plane flights and all luggage to arrive. Those of you who have traveled overseas know the multitude of travel troubles that can arrive. To add to the stress, our agency begins meetings immediately after landing in...

We had our yard sale today and last weekend. Thank you so much to everyone who donated items and came to help out! I completely forgot to take pictures last week but got a couple today. I created a board about Uganda/Adoption and displayed pictures from Uganda. Many people wanted to know more after seeing the board. My favorite interaction was from a couple who came today. The husband was explaining to her what she had read and he asked "You're adopting from Uganda." The wife replied "No, no one would do that. They're just sending money." Made me chuckle a bit but then I go to share our heart for Uganda and the amazing people. Is it a bit "school project?"...yes. Does it scream "I'm a teacher?"...Yes! But it did what it was intended to do and spread our story!! I also found another use for our announcement sign. We also gave out our adoption announcements. One woman took one and said she would put it on her fridge to rememb...

Slowly by slowly is a Ugandan phrase I heard constantly when I was there. It means that things happen in their own timing and often times that timing is slow. Nothing about adoption is fast, everything takes weeks if not months to complete and we knew getting in it would be like this. But sometimes that slow pace is draining and exhausting. But slowly by slowly is also a reminder that we have no control. We need to trust and slowly watch God provide. In that slow pace, we see the bread crumbs God has left us to show us his faithfulness in the smallest ways. Not a lot new to report other than that we are still trudging through the paperwork and slowly by slowly reading books, filling out biographies, getting physicals, our driving records and on and on. We did get an email from our agency this past week letting us know the director will make the trip to Uganda at the end of May. There has been speculation that Uganda will change their Child's Act and possibly restrict internatio...

Late 2013 we had decided to wait for a little while to adopt and to explore Chris going to UCLA. In January I felt more content than I can ever remember, something I've prayed for years to feel. I'm not patient but for some reason I felt content in waiting on the adoption and just fully content in pausing. I wasn't trying to hurry ahead or jump on to the next things (which I feel like I've done since I was 17).  Mere days went by and God prompted us to adopt... And then we got more news...more change. The fear crept a little deeper and took a stronger hold. We realized if Chris went to school we would loose insurance and that can't happen or else our adoption is paused. And the fear crept a little bit deeper, choking a little more..... And then we got more news. Chris was accepted to UCLA. And I cried, big, ugly, scary tears. Chris rejoiced and I sank into my fear. This HUGE opportunity is such a blessing. He will get to study what he loves and I'll be abl...

Sweet one, there are going to be so many doubts. We know this is confusing and scary and we can imagine it makes you question everything. But in the midst of the confusion, there are a few things we want you to know. Like deeply deeply know, at the core of who you are. Sweet one you are WANTED! Not just that you were wanted so we adopted you as in past tense but that you are currently and forever will be wanted. You have a lifetime of being desired and longed for. We promise to seek after your heart, we want to know you fully, who you are, what you love, your desires and joys. We want to know your fears and insecurities and we want to face those with you. You'll never walk this alone, we are here to love and guide and encourage you. We want YOU! But sweet one it gets better! You have value beyond measure, you will never grasp you worth until one day you sit at the feet of Jesus and He is telling you of His great love! Your whole life He will softly be wooing you, drawing you cl...