No Guarantee

This post finds me very heavy hearted and grieving.

Death is difficult. Even though we know a loved one is with the Lord it is hard for our earthly hearts and mind to be ok with the process.  Thursday was a horrific day for all of us adopting from Children of the Promise but even more tragic for my very dear friend Carrie and her husband Dan and their three children.  Carrie got a call at work that her little boy Elijah had passed away.  Eli shared a room with Esther and Carrie and I have become very close through our adoption process as we started about the same time and we were so close to finishing together.  She had no idea her son was even sick so you can only imagine the emotions she felt when she found out, not only was he sick, had been taken to the hospital but he had died just a few days before his second birthday.

Psalm 115:16- The death of God's children is precious to Him. He loved them far more than we could have imagined, and His grief is much deeper.

As you all know, there are no guarantees in the process of adoption or even in the birth of your own biological children but you get secure in your place and especially when you are so close to the end and ready to bring your child home.  That conversation I had with Carrie will forever be ingrained in my mind and my heart.  Carrie’s husband is a pastor and she works with mentally ill patients so their minds understand death and grief and tragedy but how can your heart ever be ready to face this news? 

There is a sickness (they are testing for Cholera) spreading through our orphanage and two children have died, a few are currently in the hospital (NOT like an American hospital) and several or on IV fluids and being hydrated and isolated at the orphanage.  The staff is spread thin with all the sick children.  We were notified that Esther is ok, for now, but with a disease such as this one you can’t ever be sure – especially being in a third world country.

You have all been SO supportive of our journey that I would ask you now to continue the support by praying in three ways:

1.     Pray for the Hertzler family to have comfort and peace during their time of mourning and grief and for them to feel the presence of the Lord surrounding them through friends and family. Also, for them to receive the answers that they deserve from the orphanage to help give them closure.
2.    Pray for the other children in the orphanage for health and healing and for the staff and volunteers to have strength and endurance. For the staff and board to have discernment on how to handle this situation and how to move forward to help prevent this in the future and for them to have sensitivity for the families that are adopting – especially the family that lost their child.

3.     Pray for safe travels for me and others traveling to Pittsburgh this week to be with the Hertzlers for the memorial service of Eli and for the volunteers that will be traveling to Haiti to give the staff and extra hand during this outbreak.

We will be continuing to raise money for our travel but right now we would like to raise money for those that are traveling to help at the orphanage and to provide supplies that are needed.  You can use the paypal button on the right to donate and designate it for either for our travel/adoption expenses or for the immediate needs of the orphanage.

Deuteronomy 31:7-8- God promises to be with those whom He gives a difficult trial.

Blessings,

Tiffany