Full Circle

On June 7, 2010, I received an email from someone who has come to be a very dear friend to me.  I wrote this blog post on that day.  The email contained this:

Oh.my.word.

We had been matched with Sena since March, but were waiting on one final document before she could be referred to us.  With each week that passed, my mama's heart mourned the milestones that we were missing.  When I saw a picture of my precious baby girl, swaddled in a hospital isolette just like her brothers had been as newborns, it was as if God himself reached down from Heaven with a gift especially for me.  I can't tell you how that ministered to me. 

And the story gets better.  I asked Jennifer if I could call her and she gave me her number.  She told me the story of Sena.  She was THERE when Sena was brought into care.  She gave Sena her first bath.  She held her and loved her and prayed for her.  She shared with me the circumstances of her relinquishment, which were exactly as our agency had told us.  Though I never doubted the truth of what we had been told about her, it was pretty awesome to have it confirmed by an outside source.

Jennifer was also in the process of adopting, so we began to communicate regularly via email and phone calls.  She was an amazing support to me as we walked through the ups and downs of the court and embassy processes.  That girl has FAITH like no one else I know.  Up to that point, we had not had the opportunity to meet in person.  In January of last year, we just missed each other in Ethiopia - she arrived on the day that I left.  We had hoped to get together last summer, but it didn't work out because she moved to Florida. 

In September, we decided that we would finally meet at the Created for Care retreat in Atlanta in March.  We began to make plans.  Then, in November, we got our referral.  We weren't sure how the timing would work with court, etc.  As it turns out, the timing couldn't have been any better for me because it provided a much needed distraction! 

This past Friday afternoon, I walked into Lake Lanier Lodge and finally had the chance to meet Jennifer in person after almost two years.  I was SO excited.  We have talked so many times, but to see her in person was so much fun.  Sara, Jennifer, and I had a blast rooming together.  We stayed up WAY later than I ever do at home.  We talked and prayed and laughed and cried.  I was sad when we had to say goodbye to Jennifer, but she is soon moving back within driving distance.  Woo hoo!

Roomies!

I am so thankful for the unexpected blessings that came to me that June day.  Not only did God give me a little something to encourage me in our adoption wait, but he also sent a kindred spirit whose friendship has become a treasure to me.