We are parents again!!!

Just heard the news that the courts approved us to be Joshna's parents!  I'll write more later...so full of excitement and joy!  Thanks again for the prayers!

The power of prayer...again!

Yesterday we requested prayer from our family and friends.  With three days of court remaining before the summer holidays and monsoon season, we needed a miracle.  We received that miracle!  God is so good (regardless of the outcome!).  We received news from our social worker that our case is scheduled to go before the judge tomorrow (which is now today), Wednesday, April 27th.  One friend in Houston prayed specifically for an answer soon saying, "God, today would be good."  Just a few hours later we had an answer to that prayer.  Once again, God heard and was gracious enough to give us a quick answer.

I looked up our case online in the Chennai (Madras) court system.  We are case #1588.  It was so exciting to see our case "Pending."  I will keep checking back until I see the final outcome..."Approved!"  Until then, please keep up the prayers....we know how powerful God is!

The roller-coaster of life...

Whew...much has happened since my last post.  At the beginning of April, my Dad experienced an esophageal tear (spontaneous...will probably never have one again). Because he was on blood thinners for his atrial fibrillation to prevent another stroke (he had one 2 1/2 years ago), he lost about 60% of his blood with this tear.  Thankfully the doctors were able to close the tear, and he began healing very well.  Because the tear needed time to heal, they took him off the blood thinner during that time.  Two weeks from the day of his tear, he was given the okay to restart the blood thinner.  That morning Dad had a stroke.  I was with him and was able to give aspirin immediately, an ambulance came within minutes, and the clot buster drug, tPA, was given within two hours of the stroke.  He has stabilized and is in the process of recovery and will continue to be in the months ahead.

In the meantime, not much has progressed with the adoption...that is, until yesterday.  I received a call from our social worker that the Indian courts do not close in mid-May, as once thought.  They are closing this Friday, April 29th...three days--not three weeks--from now.  The good news is that we have a case number and are in the Chennai (Madras) court system.  It does not show a potential date for our case, but the social worker in India is "still hopeful" that our case will be heard before the close.  The good news in all of this? I am "still hopeful" that whatever the outcome, it will be the best timing possible.  I am not anxious or afraid as I once was.  There is a great peace that the best result will happen with both the adoption and with Dad's recovery (the "best" is not necessarily what I consider "best").  I am confident that this peace is a great gift from God.  So many have prayed for us at times when we were struggling to pray...thank you all!

So the waiting continues.....As we go through the ups and downs of good news and hard news, we do continue to trust in the will of God.  Will there ever be a time when I learn that I am NOT in control???  Maybe when I am 98 years old? :)  Until then, I will hopefully learn to trust Him more and more.