What an awesome God we serve!

I do believe that everyone in the Early household has finally gotten over the vomiting virus! Praise the Lord!! I was not sure I could clean up anymore bodily fluids that contained stomach acid and PCF (previously chewed food)!! Whew! It seems that Eric and I dodged the bullet on this one, too. I am not sure how, exactly, since I felt like I was rolling in the grossness of it all for about 5 days. Maybe it was my mad hand washing skills Hey, a girls GOT to remember SOMETHING from nursing school!

We heard some totally awesome news today from some friends of ours at church. They are friends with a missionary family that has been in Africa for several years. Here's there story...
The missionary family (The Glissons) have been in Africa for several years and their contract ended with the church they were working for and they were preparing to head home to the US. With them they were bringing their children (natural and a daughter they had adopted from Africa) and a child they were foster parenting with the intent to adopt from Africa. Then the earthquake in Haiti hit. Normally, this would not have been an issue with them, but due to the issue of child trafficking and the increase since the earthquake, the US decided to change it's laws about bringing children who are not FULLY adopted into the US. The way the adoption system is in Africa, you must be a foster parent for 36 months before the adoption can be finalized. The law used to be that you had to remain in Africa for that full 36 months, but recently it was changed to state that you could take the child with you to another country, but the adoption would not be complete until the 36 month period was over. Well, the Glissons were only about a year into their 36 month foster parenting when they were told of the new law in the US. They also had every belonging on a ship headed for the US, no home, no job, no money...but they had their faith!

They went to the US and pleaded for an exception. They had the paperwork stating they were fostering until the probationary period was over, but that was not enough. The US would not allow them to bring this child in the country without legal documents stating that he was THEIRS. **sidebar**I understand the reasoning, but I still feel that if you have legitimate paperwork there should be some exception to the rule...but they didn't so, on with the story** This left them with 2 options. 1--Stay in Africa and move in with the sweet woman from the church who offered to share her hut (yes, I said hut and meant H-U-T) with the entire family and try to make it work even though they had no income or 2--Try their hands with the courts in Africa.

#2 it was! They were going to give their best and plead their case and place the issue in God's hands. They knew, no matter what, this child was theirs and he was going to remain theirs. If it meant staying in Africa for another 2 years or if God's will was for them to return to the US.

Well, their court day came. At 8 am they entered the court room and sat and waited their turn. Mr. Glisson described the uncomfortable wood benches they sat on while they waited and listening to the never ending cases over land issues. How trivial those issues seem when you are waiting on a decision about your future!! At 3 pm it was their turn. After their attorney plead their case, the judge asked for a 20 minute recess to think it all through. They waited and waited and waited. How long and miserable that wait must have been.

45 minutes later, the judge returned. Now, before I tell you what he said, let me tell you...They had 27 months left on their foster parenting term. 27 months. If they had 2 months left, they may have had a 1% chance of the judge allowing the adoption to go through early. But they still had 27 months. The odds were NOT in their favor.

Forty-five minutes later, the judge returned...Mr. Glisson said it best

"After 45 long, suspenseful minutes we were called back to his chambers. He stated that what we were asking was very unusual and not something that is really written into the law. He then went on to say that because we have already adopted Ansley and have obviously taken good care of her, because we received "high flying" recommendations, because we are the only family this boy has ever known, and because if we don't care for him he will likely become a street kid, he was granting our request and waiving the final 27 months and giving us a full and final adoption order immediately!"

Did you read that?!?!? IMMEDIATELY!! Who can read this and not swell with emotion?! Who can listen to those words and not feel God rushing from the page?!?! How awesome is our God? I ask again, How AWESOME is our GOD!?!

This family had nothing to hold onto but faith and each other. In the end, God had a plan for them and His plan was for them to be together and to return to the US.

I do not know the Glissons, I only know their story. I tell you what, though, if I ever get the chance to meet them, I am going to hug their necks like they are my momma! I am so incredibly happy for them. I am so incredibly happy for their son! Most of all, I am so proud to be able to be witness to such an awesome miracle by our Heavenly Father. This was nothing short of a miracle.

People...know that God is good and He is alive and present! Prayers are answered every day. Miracles do happen and can happen and will happen if you believe.

Thank you for letting me share that story with you today. I hope that it has moved you at least a fraction as much as it has moved me!