Hebrews 10:23

Many of you have wondered since May 3 where in the world I have been and what is going on with our adoption. Well, hold on... Here's the update...

David and I have decided for now we are going to put our adoption on hold because of some very miraculous happenings in our lives...

You see, in May RIGHT AFTER our home study was completed, David and I received some very surprising news... We were pregnant. Deciding to keep it a secret because of the adoption, we were the only two who knew for several weeks... After 3 miscarriages, we were not very optimistic about the outcome. However, after weeks of silence, this is the letter I wrote to my family the night before my 7 week ultrasound... We would hear a heartbeat or not...

To Mom, Dad, Barbara, Bobby and all of my sisters...

I was in bed tonight with so much on my mind, so I decided to get up and tell the people who love us the most what's going on...

The last couple of weeks have a been quite a spin for David and me, and we really need you to pray for us. We had initially made a decision not to tell anyone, but we found ourselves really needing support. We found out we were pregnant again in the middle of May - it was not in our "plan" but we are trying to live this uncertainty out the best way we know how. I am now 7 weeks and the chances that I will be able to carry a baby without miscarriage is now less than 50%. (age + the number of previous miscarriages) Even though early blood tests indicated that I was producing proper progesterone and my pregnancy levels were rising, my mother's instinct tells me that the results of my ultrasound on Tuesday will not be favorable. Also, my early signs of pregnancy are fading which is another indication of a possible loss...

My ultrasound appointment is at 8:30am this Tuesday. We have given this to the Lord and truly trust Him with the outcome. Please pray for our hearts. Going through this for the fourth time is tough...

All of our adoption plans are still going forward, and we are trusting God for our family's future. Whether He decides we will have our own biological child, or we will bring Ty home from Kazakhstan, its all up to our Lord who loves us through everything... We are truly at peace with whatever the future holds.

Please do not tell anyone about this. We want this to just be known to family...

We Love All of You So Much... Thank you for giving us a safe place to be honest about anything...

Please pray for us...

Julie and David

On June 2nd I went in for the ultrasound and, to my surprise, we heard a very strong heartbeat. None of the babies I lost to miscarriage ever made it past 6 weeks growth... The text I sent to my family was simply this, "Little tiny baby with a very strong heartbeat." The messages I received back were priceless. "Such a miracle." "Praise God." "Wow!!!! Chills!" "Congrats." "I prayed for a miracle."

Yesterday, we had our BIG ultrasound at 17 weeks 5 days and all is well. The baby's growth is good, and there are no indications of genetic problems or anything else. The whole doctor's office was celebrating. I simply said - "This is a miracle..."

On top of that we found out our little miracle is a BOY. We are so excited to bring Ty home after all, not by the miracle of adoption, but by the miracle of biological birth, something we never dreamed to do again...

There have been many days since finding out we were pregnant that I have wondered why we began our adoption process in February now that our path has changed so miraculously... Yesterday, God gave me a tiny glance... This is a letter from my sister-n-law Jennifer, the very person who was a great encouragement in our decision to adopt in the first place - Bobby and Jennifer have chosen adoption again for their family. Hopefully, by January or February we will meet their newest addition, Mia. Mia will be 7 when she comes home. This is part of Mia's story I didn't know until last night...

Dear David and Julie,

The verse we have chose for Mia is Hebrews 10:23.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we possess for He who promised is faithful."

We have watched you and how you have held on to the hope that another child was to come to your family. Ty has come to you not through the miracle of adoption - but in his very own miraculous way. And, because of your willingness to search for Him before God's plan was revealed to you - Mia will also come to us in a miraculous way. It was in reading your post about the Voice of Adventure that God began to speak to us about starting another adventure of our own. I will always think of Mia as Ty's little miracle. Before any of us knew how Ty would arrive, God was preparing us all for Mia's arrival too. Now we will meet him first, and then because of Him, she will come home shortly after. What a miraculous turn of events. Unexpected to us, but never a surprise to the one who always proves Himself faithful. He must be smiling today as another tiny part of his plan is revealed to us........ And isn't it better than anything we
could have imagined ourselves?

We love you,
Jen

God's plan for us is unlike anything we could have EVER asked or imagined, and we are so excited to be a small part of bringing one of God's children home where she (Mia) belongs.

We give praise to our almighty God and are just amazed...

Our Home Study Visit...

Abigail at Patterson Farm picking strawberries.

Honor hanging out a Pharr Mill Road Park checking out the tadpoles.

This past Tuesday, April 28, we had our Home Study visit by Linda Showalter and her husband Harold.  What a delightful couple MEANT to be in the adoption field.  They showed us so much kindness and shared some very valuable information with us.  We had a wonderful time sharing with them our hopes and dreams about adoption.  By the way, if you have not heard, our adoption country is now Kazakhstan, a beautiful country south of Russia.  We decided on a change several weeks ago due to a faster processing time, the excellent care they give the orphans and the possibility of adopting a younger boy.  Please continue to pray for us.  The paperwork has been overwhelming, and there have been times we have felt weary...  Also, Honor has caught wind that Mom and Dad will have to be in Kazakhstan for a long time in order to get her little brother, and this fact alone has made her begin to sway on whether or not she wants a little brother.  It changes from day to day...  Pray that God will protect her little heart through this...   Also, pray for Abi who is trying to be brave, but she also has a hard time when Mom and Dad are away...

Accepting Loss...

It has been eight days since I began writing this segment of our journey...  Maybe I am trying too hard to explain how God never leaves us during disappointments, heartache and difficulties in our lives.  However, today, during our Bible study on Psalm 23, the "light bulb" came on and the explanation became clear.  As believers, our walk through valleys is a means by which we head to higher ground.  It is in the hard times we are taught the riches of God's grace, the abundance of His provision and the enormous peace only He can give us when we think our world is falling apart.  He is there to provide for us and teach us more about Him than we could have ever known under different circumstances.  

After Abigail and Honor came into our lives, we said goodbye to our next three babies.  Sally was the first, the second left a few months later and the last baby we lost was a little girl, too.  Miscarriage is such a silent affair for so many women.  It is a loss very hard to endure, leaving many questions.  However, as David and I walked that path three times, we found amazing peace and hope that God never left us for one minute.  To be able to go home only to find Abi and Honor awaiting our arrival gave our hearts joy.  Amazingly, during that time of great loss, I was approached by numerous women who had experienced miscarriages in their life and had a desire to talk about their losses too.  Not only was I ministered to, I had a chance to be a listening ear to many who had never talked about their loss before.  There were thirteen women in all that God sent our way to help us through each loss.  Looking back now, we see our experience as one of the ways God has lead us to where we are today...

Our first contact with Christian World Adoption was right after we lost "Sally" in September of 2006.  I expressed interest in adoption and received the promotional video and initial packet.  At this point, however, we continued to hold out hope that we would be able to biologically have our own child.  In March of this year, after two and a half years of prayer and contemplation, David said to me as we sat in McAllister's Deli, "Let's do this, Julie.  We're not getting any younger!"  Knowing David was completely on board and excited made the next move easy.  We began the journey to our son, the little boy God had chosen for us before time began...

Followed by Honor...

Jacqueline Honor Barbee Svenson was born on September 15, 2005.  I became a mother for the second time at 38.  She is the twelfth grandchild in our family, and was named in "Honor" of my mom, Jacqueline Pethel Barbee.  David and I couldn't think of a more fitting name for our second born.  My mom is an incredible woman of God.  Our Honor "bug" is such a joyful child and one of a kind.  She is FULL of energy, yet has a tender side that just melts your heart.  This is Honor in our March snow wanting to be like her big sister Abi.

Along comes Abigail...

Abigail Grace Barbee Svenson was born on August 6, 2003.  What an amazing day it was when I became a mother for the first time at 36.  The joy was so real and so sweet...  To describe that incredible moment would be next to impossible.  Abigail is now in kindergarten and just a delight.  She loves to skate and explore in the woods.  This is a picture of her during our March snow.

The Rest of the Story...

Here it is from the beginning as promised...  Our story of adoption began in July of 1995.  The above picture was taken at an orphanage in Moscow, Russia.  Roman is the little guy with whom I am laughing.  I can remember it like it was yesterday...  At the time I was a single 27 year old who felt her heart strings pulled the day I left him there.  You see, he was approaching the age when many orphan boys are never adopted.  He is now 16 or 17 years old.  I pray tonight that he found a forever family to care for him and love him.  His sweet, loving spirit just needed a place to call home.

Five years later on March 29, 2000, I met David Svenson, the man with whom I would share my life.  We "ran into one another" at Chick-fil-A... of all places.  I had just left Carmen Carmen Salon, and he was on his way to video John Belk's 80th birthday celebration.  As we stood in line, David noticed I was holding a book called The Return of the Prodigal Son.  You see, I was preparing to go on another trip to Russia that summer, and I was reading about this famous Rembrandt painting before I actually saw it at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.  David asked me if I was reading it for a class or pleasure.  I kind of laughed and briefly told him about my summer mission trip as we waited to order.  When we sat down in the restaurant we talked briefly, and David asked if he could call me sometime so that he could learn more about my summer adventure.  I jokingly told him he had to get a copy of the book I was reading so that we would have something to chat about.  Little did I know, David's parents owned the Intimate Bookshop at Southpark Mall for 27 years!  They had the book waiting for him when he returned home from his job that evening.  

We stayed in touch until I left for Russia in June and continued our relationship after I returned.  On October 19, 2002, we were married.  It was the happiest and sweetest day of our lives.  It was a dream come true for both of us.  We both believe it was GOD who brought us together that day at Chick-fil-A.  Not by chance or by accident, but by God's perfect timing and providence...   

 

It's getting late, so I will continue the story tomorrow.  Thanks for joining us on this journey. We are blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful family and friends.

Down the Paperwork Trail...

It has now been a week since we sent our initial application fee to Christian World Adoption.  We have been amazed by the kindness of the CWA staff so far.  We have met Julie Wilson through a video conference and Linda Showalter has come on as our home study guide.  Both ladies were careful to pat us on the back and give us encouragement as we began to see the tremendous paperwork trail ahead of us.    

I just wanted to share with you how amazing God has been during this week as He is confirming our decision to adopt...

First of all, our biggest adoption supporters from the beginning have been my brother Bobby and my sister-n-law Jennifer who recently adopted beautiful Lainie from China.  They have known for a long time that adoption has been on our hearts and have gently encouraged us along the way.  When we decided to tell our family, I received this note from Jennifer the VERY NEXT DAY...  " First - congratulations on your decision to adopt.  I wish there were the right words to tell you how this journey will change your life, but words would be so inadequate.  I know firsthand how scary the journey is, but I also know firsthand that God will display Himself to you in ways that you have never experienced before.  It will be an experience that teaches you much about your Trust in Him.  Of course, I now stand on the other side and it is easy to forget the intense fear and doubt that somtimes took over my soul.  All I can say is, trust in Him.  his ways are prefect."  It is very comforting to David and me to know we have Bobby and Jennifer's support.  They have taught all of our family so much about stepping out in faith the last two years...

Secondly, I received a note from Bonnie Grigg (a member of my Bible study on Thursdays who just "happened" to get my prayer card two weeks ago)  ...Bless them with more children, Lord in your perfect timing.  Give them an openness toward adoption and lead them thru the process.  You know their children even before they are born.  You knit their family before they are born - together for them as a shepherd does..."

And finally, a kind word of encouragement from Jennifer Hall (another member of my Thursday Bible study who "happened" to get my card this week.)  She came up to me today at my daughter's book fair and said, "I just KNEW your BIG decision this week was about adoption, and I was thrilled to hear David say on Sunday that you had begun the process."

Just a few reminders of God's precious goodness and the sweet love of family and friends who really pray when they promise to do so...

Hearing the Voice of Adventure

On February 13 of this year I read a devotion by Max Lucado called The Voice of Adventure.  Here's the text...  There is a rawness and a wonder to life.  Pursue it.  Hunt for it. Sell out to get it.  Don't listen to the whines of those who have settled for a second rate life and want you to do the same so they won't feel guilty.  Your goal is not to live long; it's to live.  Jesus says the options are clear.  One one side there is the voice of safety.  You can build a fire in the hearth, stay inside, and stay warm and dry and safe... Or you can hear the voice of adventure -- God's adventure.  Instead of building a fire in your hearth, build a fire in your heart.  Follow God's impulses.  ADOPT THE CHILD.  Move overseas.  Teach the class.  Change careers.  Run for office.  Make a difference.  Sure it isn't safe, but what is?  From He Still Moves Stones by Max Lucado.  

As of today, March 10, 2009, David and I have officially signed up to adopt a little boy from Russia.  The history of this decision is long - I will share it with you on another day.  We just wanted you to pray for all of us as we take this adventure - especially big sisters Abi and Honor.  They are telling everyone in sight and are thrilled...