We got an embassy date!!!!

Good news came in a big package today!  We have a date for June 7th for Abigail's visa!!!  WOOOOO HOOOOO!!!  I am jumping for joy!  Not sure of the date of return yet but my greatest hope is that Jason will be back for Father's Day to enjoy it at home with his children.  The really cool thing about June 7th is that was the date in 2009 we went to church and heard about Abigail for the first time.  What an awesome day.

We are just so so grateful and continue our prayers for a smooth appointment so that Abigail may be on her way soon!!

I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.  Psalms 40:1

Good news comes in small packages

Today was a good day.  After anxiously waiting a week for some embassy things to get sorted out we were told we are "close" on the list.  I'm not totally sure what that means but it means I'm on a list and in someone's mind we are close. :)  I am hopeful we are within 2 weeks of Abigail and Jason coming home. 

Other than when we received full adoption, good news seems to come in small steps and in small packages.  So someone telling me I'm close that is enough for now.  I learned to be ok a long time ago not to get frustrated about the details so today we are going to rejoice.  Good news is good news and we'll take any of it we can get.

I continue to ask for prayers for my husband and daughter in Uganda.  We are so lucky to have such an enormous prayer team and such great friends.  I have had so many people from church, neighbors, friends, co-workers ask if I need anything or can help, I'm constantly invited for dinners or evenings out.  They keep me so busy I haven't had much down time!  For that I am so thankful, this is an emotionally devastating process and I'm lucky to have such great people to stand beside me.  I will keep this posted when we get any new information.  In the meantime it's a long weekend so we won't know anything until Tuesday.  Enjoy the holiday!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!  They are ALMOST home.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15

Today the Osborns are rejoicing with the Gaunt Family in Canada! Welcome Home Maleah and Jeramiah!!!!!  Praise God!  I just couldn't be happier for them.  Check out their homecoming at mercymoi.blogspot.com.

OK, I KNOW this picture is blurry, I took a snapshot of Abigail on Skype.  Jason said.  Raise your hands if you're excited to go to America!!  Abby threw both of them up and jumped.  I cried.  Again. :)  Ahhhhh......tears of joy my girl.  You'll be home soon. :)

Good things come to those who pray.......

The last day I've been in awe.  I just can't explain it.  I feel such joy in my heart, like the day I found out I was pregnant with Nolan and the day he arrived.  I am flying high! Amazing.  Abigail called me at work today and said "Hi Mom, I'm having ice cream.  It's Cho-co-late."  So darn cute.  I miss her so much.  So I wanted to post about the emotional roller coaster of the last 2 days so that everyone may have a glimpse into the amazing works of my very BIG GOD.

I have ALWAYS wanted to adopt.  I never dreamed I'd have kids of my own, I just always wanted to adopt.  When I got pregnant and had Nolan it was very difficult.  I had battled miscarriages prior to him that were extremely painful to move past.  I was on bed rest and seemed to develop every complication of pregnancy possible.  I was hesitant in my walk of faith.  I rarely prayed and it was usually only because I needed something.  I did pray at many points in that pregnancy for the Lord to allow this baby to survive.  During my emergency c-section as the monitors were alarming because his heart rate was dropping I distinctly remember the prayers.    They went something like this;  "I will do ANYTHING if you let my baby live."  If you JUST let this baby live I will give a child that doesn't have parents a home."  Then there was some whining, pleading and begging.  First of all, that was in really bad taste.  Seriously?  I was trying to bargain with God?  Are you kidding me?  How tacky that was......God knew I already wanted to adopt so there wasn't much there to negotiate.  I just thought maybe he'd be like "OH HEY!  Heather is going to take an orphan if we help her, let's go!!!!"  They were rushing my bed down the hallway as I'm yelling this out loud.  I remember the fluorescent lights on the ceiling swooping past me.  The nurses looked at me like I was a nut job and I remember one of them tapping my shoulder saying, "everything will be OK." And my response?  "I'll believe it when I see it."   

So since that day of my beautiful Nolan arriving 6 years ago I felt like there was always this little nudge in my heart like COME ON HEATHER when are you going to get to adopting already.  Over the years I have thought about that prayer a lot.  I've even expressed to my husband that I know I need to honor that promise.  A promise is a promise right?  As I became stronger in my walk of faith I knew God had laid this adoption desire on my heart since I was a kid and now he was doing it with such intensity and enormous heaviness.  Since we found out about Abigail I hadn't thought about it in a very long time.   I think I just forgot about it because I was so focused on the adoption the "whys" no longer seemed important.

So the night before our ruling praying became SO difficult.  I wanted to plead with God to allow me just this one prayer, but I had to remain faithful and my prayers started with "Lord, if this is in YOUR will, please give us a positive ruling so that my Abigail may come home."  That was so hard.  For two days I was on the floor on my knees begging if this was in His will.  I felt like WHAT ABOUT MY WILL?  What about me?  I sat over there for 2 months without my husband and my son and now I'm sitting here without my husband and my daughter.  It's hard to release that control.  I'm a control freak so that is REALLY hard for me. I know fully that if this is not in his plan, it would not happen.  But selfishly, it was in my plan and I wanted it to be all about me. :)

I couldn't sleep and at one point I was sobbing on now the bathroom floor, begging and pleading to God to seek favor on our Abigail.  My heart has been so broken since leaving her in Uganda and my arms have ached for both of my children in them at the same time.  But an amazing thing was laid on my heart.  I felt an overall peace come over me.  The sobbing slowed down, I felt like my muscles weren't as tense and as that peace came, I couldn't stop thinking about being in labor with Nolan.  I couldn't stop thinking about what I had prayed.  At one point I think I even laughed out loud.  I was so embarrassed that I thought that would work.  I was reliving it over and over and over.  I drove myself a little crazy trying to remember every detail.  I kept thinking, "Why can't I stop thinking about this?"  What is wrong with me?  I tried to push it away but when I laid back down it kept rerunning like song on repeat.

The next day I woke up knowing the Holy Spirit had worked through the judge and we would have full adoption.  I just knew it.  I tried to push it out of my head but it was already on my heart.  I can't explain it but I knew God had laid that memory on my heart because I had made that promise and I consciously have chosen to honor that promise no matter what.  I have never let any barrier stop this adoption because I know this has always been in His will.  Have I been discouraged?  ABSOLUTELY.  But I did my best to try and pray when those times came up.  I fully found myself spiritually in Africa because I HAD to rely on Him.  He created a situation where I had nothing else to do but to pray.  I went to work knowing that Jason somehow and someway was going to call and we were going to get full adoption.  I knew it.  I felt like jumping for joy and screaming, he is seeking favor on us today because he knows I have been faithful to him!

Sure enough a little after 8 I got the call.  I exited my cube, I borrowed a conference room just for myself and I danced in it.  I threw my fists in the air like I had won the Boston marathon because I have a BIG GOD and he is faithful to me.  I did the MC Hammer dance and possibly the funky chicken. :) I'll never tell.......... :)

I sent out an email that people forwarded and reached HUNDREDS of people and we had people praying all over the world for us.  THAT is an awesome thing.  I had people emailing us saying they set their alarms and got up and prayed at 2 am during the initial court hearing.  People I don't even know but people serving the same big God as I do. That is just incredible.  Would I have really done that for someone else I didn't know?  I have over 50 voice mails between 3 phones to get to and over a hundred emails to return.  I have amazing friends and an amazing prayer family.

Out of all of this there is one thing that touched my heart the most.  When my friend Sherry sent out the email to make the announcement at our church, the subject line said, "Our prayers were answered."  Not Heather and Jason's prayers, but Ours.  When I saw "Our" I was speechless.   If one person is suffering and we prayed for that suffering like it were our own, and take that suffering on as a whole body and not just our own, imagine how the Holy Spirit could work.  I love our church family and there is never a question of feeling like I belong there.  Our greatest day home will be the first Sunday she can meet her new family in church.

I can hardly wait to show Abby these emails some day.  She doesn't know just how loved she is.  God can move mountains and he certainly did that Thursday.  He is a big God and as Toby Mac says; I am a prisoner to him by choice and I LOVE IT.  My life is so incredible and God has been so good to me, especially good to me since we have strived to be the utmost obedient.  I AM REDEEMED.

Abigail Moosuki Mugisa Osborn.  A child of God.  A child of the Bridge.  The best part? .......she's ours.



AMEN!

IT'S YES!!!!!

The ruling came back that we are now adoptive parents of Abigail.  Thank you, thank you for your prayers.  The judge was moved by the Holy Spirit as even our legal staff was surprised by the positive ruling.  Praise God!

Abby and I are going to celebrate with ice cream.  : )

2:10 At Court

We waiting for the Judge to call us in.

1:50 Arrived at Attorney's Office

We will be walking over to court shortly.  I am pretty excited and relaxed at the same time.

MORE PRAYERS PLEASE!!!!

I can't put many details in this post due to the sensitivity of our case but Jason did indeed go to court today and the adoption ruling for our case is suppose to be at 2:00 Uganda time.  That is 7:00 am Eastern time.  If you feel it in your heart to continue your prayers for our family we will be so grateful.  We just feel the Holy Spirit working and want to lift up Abigail and Jason in prayers tomorrow!

Thank you for all your support!!!!!

Waiting

Well here is the hard part I guess.  I have not heard anything as of 8 am how court went however I do know that we won't have our ruling for approximately a week though.  That's just how it works there, you go to court and go back in a few days for the ruling.  So now we just pray.

The only thing I can compare the anxiety to is a pregnancy test. :)  Are we?  Or aren't we?

I'm SOOO mentally exhausted today but I had an amazing night in prayer and I'm comforted knowing no matter what it is in God's will.  Until then, I will wait patiently.  I will send out another form email and update the blog as soon as I have any news!

Thank you to the hundreds of people praying for us last night!!!!  I'm blown away at the number of people that received our email request for prayers.  Amazing.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!

—Psalm 37:7

PRAYER WARRIORS NEEDED FOR ABIGAIL!

OK if there was ever a time for prayer in this adoption we are needing them now. We just found out that our Full adoption hearing is tomorrow morning at 10am Uganda time. That's 3 am eastern time for those of you in in the US!

Currently we have guardianship of Abigail but the embassy is not releasing visas for guardianships at this time. So, what this means is IF we were granted full adoption, we could get Abigail's visa appointment and get her home. If we lose the adoption case Jason will have to remain in Uganda until the visa issue is worked out which could be quite some time yet.

I know the Lord can move mountains and at this point I am putting this at the foot of the cross today.

I realize I can't ask everyone to stay up until 3 am but anyone that could pray for our case today and tonight I would be forever grateful. I pray that the walls that have been built up from the devil will be removed and God may seek favor on Abigail tomorrow.

If you feel it in your heart to pass this along to any other prayer warriors my family would be blessed.

In Him,

Heather

Well thank God for technology.  We have been Skyping the last few days!  The picture you see is of me kissing Abby goodnight through a webcam and she's kissing me back on the screen. :)  If you don't know what Skype is, we are both talking over the internet via webcams so we can to see and talk to each other live.  It's pretty amazing.  Jason's internet is strong enough in the guest house so we are able to be on and off it all day!  It's been SOO great to see Abby and Nolan interact with each other.  We've been spending about 2 hours a day together that way so a small part of us really feels like a whole family when it's all four of us!

Abby is not quite sure what to think of the dogs yet that she sees but Jason said she talks about Lizzy our dog all day long. :)  Ugandan children are not used to pet dogs so I can't imagine what's going through her mind!  It's just SO much better than talking on the phone with scratchy interception!

If you are interested in seeing Abby and Jason feel free to email me and I'll send you the Skype address!

Round Two....

OHHHHHH what a painful day it was today.  Taking Jason to the airport and saying good bye again felt like more than we could bare.  I am so tired of my family being split between two continents right now and our hearts just felt simply broken.  I am so tired of crying tears from all the goodbyes.  First it was saying goodbye to Jason and Nolan when I left for Africa, then it was goodbye to Jason when he came to Africa and had to return home, then it was goodbye to Abigail when I had to return home and now it's goodbye to Jason going to Africa again.  Hmmmmm........I'm seeing a trend here.

It was devastating to walk into the house tonight and having him gone.  It was so quiet and empty feeling.  One doesn't realize how important the entire family unit is until it's pulled apart.  I was standing in the kitchen today sobbing and Nolan said "Don't worry Mommy, I'll take care of you" as he hugged my leg.  Of course then I sobbed even more.  Nolan is taking his position of "Man of the house" very seriously :)  I'm so proud of him and how strong he's been in all of this.  However his little heart was broken as well, I found him crying in his room not 5 minutes after tucking him in to bed.  Between the sobs he said "I just miss Dad."

On the other hand, it's round two and we're going in swingin. We're fighting like crazy to bring that little girl home! I'm SO glad that Jason will be reunited with Abigail. It's a pretty solemn feeling leaving your child in a country and not being able to be there with them. It felt like a death. I feel so much relief know that she will have daddy with her. We are planning to eat a meal together over Skpe. That way we can see each other through web cams and feel like we are at last a full family. :)



BUT, the most wonderful news is that my friend from Canada got clearance to bring her children home after 11 months of fighting for them.  God has answered prayers today!!  Jason and I cried when we got the news and once again I am reminded that it is in His time.  So tonight I will rejoice with my fellow Canadian sister, the kids are coming home Mama!!

I'm taken back by the number of people that have offered their services while Jason is gone. From mowing the lawn to bringing meals over and babysitting people have been SO generous to us. Praise God for that.  I'm so blessed to have such a HUGE network of support here.

Tonight I take comfort in knowing that God has driven this entire journey and he is still at the wheel. I will continue to trust that this is all in his will and for his glory.  Until I see my beloved again he will be sadly missed. 

"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."







--Isaiah 41:10

PRAISE GOD!  Our Canadian friends get to take their children home after being stuck in Uganda for a year!
God is moving mountains!!!!!!!

Bittersweet Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. What an awesome day it is to celebrate!!!!

In all the celebrations today it felt a little bittersweet not to spend it with Abigail. I miss that little girl so badly and there seemed to be a small void today celebrating my motherhood without one of my children.

The pictures that I posted are of my favorites with Nolan and Abigail and the figurine is the gift that Jason and Nolan got me for Mother's Day. It's one of the the Willow Tree figurines and he had someone paint the little girl to look like Abigail. I bawled. I loved it so so much. I got the special homemade card and picture from Nolan made out of his thumbprints. Those gifts are just priceless to me, I love it when he is so excited to give me something that he made.

We started the day at church which was fulfilling as always. We were blessed again this week with more people wanting beads and blessing of money. It's UNBELIEVABLE to me the financial support that has poured in for Abigail. We had an inspiring young woman today give us a significant check.  We didn't know her but she testified that she's prayed for a year what to do with the money and she felt today God was telling her to give it to Abigail's adoption. We were shocked when we got to the car and looked at it. It actually was the last remaining amount needed for expenses in Jason's travel. That's God answering my prayers. And once again that's God working through others. PRAISE HIM!

As we celebrated this amazing day with family, we also felt a little sad in our hearts. We booked Jason's ticket back to Uganda from the parking lot of Sam's Club on Saturday and he is returning on Wednesday to beautiful Africa. I'm SOOO excited because Abigail gets to have her daddy back with her and at the same time I'm SOOOO sad because I feel like I just got home and we've hardly seen each other. It feels heartbreaking. I'm also a little jealous, Africa and Abigail is quite an amazing combo.

Emotionally I feel spent. I can't emphasize how difficult it has been internally to return. I rely on Jason so much emotionally and now it feels a bit lonely knowing he'll be gone and trying to adjust back into "normal" life. The difficult part is not knowing when he will be back. We need many many prayers for patience in this area. His return ticket is booked for mid August and that feels tragic right now. We will take it day by day for now.

The next few weeks, maybe months it will be just Nolan and I. I'm looking forward to mother and son time and I think we'll be tackling a few of our own adventures this summer. It's difficult facing the unknowns, but that's where we have our faith. I know that we are strong enough to handle the separation and we share the same love for Jesus Christ so it's through him we will gain in strength. The thought of all the household responsibilities all by myself is very scary, but I'm trying to stay focused on the enormous testimony I will have when this is complete. The minute Nolan and I see them walking off that airplane together, all this time apart will be forgotten.

Proverbs 31:10-12 and 25-31

A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
"Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Happy Mother's Day!

In Him,

Heather

For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.

Praise God!

My life is a living testament of answered prayers this week. It really has been. As frustrated as I have become because I can’t bring Abigail home yet I know it’s because God needs me to see the Spirit working around me and through people around me.

This was our prayers this week.

Money. We’ve prayed for it because I left my job as an accountant at Stryker to be able to stay home with Abigail and Nolan. With our family living on 2 continents the extra expenses to our attorney and additional airfare our savings is getting down to slim pickins. We also don’t know how long Jason will be gone so it’s difficult to budget the expense we are able to incur. Originally we budgeted for 4 weeks, I was gone almost 8 weeks and she’s not even home yet so we are WAY beyond budget.

This is how God answered my prayers this week.

Stryker called me this week and needs someone to help fill in temporarily. I will be going back next week just part time while Nolan is in the school. AMAZING. They were flexible with my schedule and sensitive of the time I will need with my son. Not to mention I’m helping with my previous job so I don’t have to train for anything new! What are the chances of that? Praise God.

Barb. Oh how grateful I am for Barb. We met her at a craft show last fall and have corresponded through emails over the months. Upon returning home she asked if she could host a bead party for me in her home in Grand Rapids. I was OVERWHELMED by the response of her friends. These people came out to her house, not knowing me but wanted to help support us. That was an amazing feeling. I didn’t know Barb very well before last night, yet she just wanted to help us. Isn’t that incredible? It was awesome to see the Holy Spirit work through her and I am forever grateful.

Deb, Kim, John, Jeff, Rich and Jill. These people offered to take beads for us to work and sell them. We have made over $1200 from them doing this for us. Amazing! Once again, here are some selfless people that just had it in their heart to help, they took the beads, did all the work, and made over $1200 for us. Again, the Holy Spirit was working through these people, they were able to reach people that we would have never been able to reach.

Lori. She is our dear friend that adopted from Uganda last year. She found a craft show and volunteered to take our beads there for us and sell them. She kept saying she just wanted to help. Unreal. Now I have another show booked in June and a partner to help me sell more beads!

I know this list can't even begin to touch everyone that has helped us. We have such faithful prayer warriors that pray for us diligently every week. Thank you Thank you Thank you.

It’s just amazing to me that Jason and I started to be concerned about finances and God opened those massive doors. He stormed down the insecurities we had. He didn’t send me a check in the mail, He didn't grant us the winning lottery ticket, He worked through OTHERS. I sometimes forget that through my prayers God will use other people, some we know and some we don’t know to blanket us in his love. I am so honored to share our testimony this week.

I will forever be humbled by the lengths my fellow brothers and sisters have gone to for Abigail and our family. When I feel discouraged I will be reminded of the deliverance of prayer that was shown to my family this week through friends, co-workers, and people we hardly knew. God is in us all.

Last but not least I’m posting pictures of Abigail and her new friends Kingsly and Emerson. This is the family that is fostering her in Uganda when I had to leave because of my foot. I just can’t say enough about how kind it was that these people were willing to care for Abigail. It’s such a blessing getting pictures and she looks SO happy. Again, the Lord brought us them to care for our Abigail and they were faithful to serve. Thank you Thank you Thank you Hornshaw family!

Blessings.

Heather

For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.  Psalms 149:4