Baby Steps

About a month ago we were introduced to a beautiful little girl named Ava. In February, she had been abandoned in a field near the village of Limuru. The police officer who found her, in the middle of the night, brought her to a nearby orphanage. The orphanage estimated her age at that time to be two months old. Soon after this, two women began to foster her on the weekends. The two women are Tristan's 2nd grade homeroom teacher and his Phys. Ed teacher. They had been praying for a family for Ava and felt that God was leading them to us.

On several occasions we visited Ava with Tristan and Emma and began to pray for direction. We began to investigate the fostering and adoption process. We met with other Canadian families who have adopted and those who are in the process of adopting. We talked with our families and we carefully discussed our hopes with CBM seeking their wisdom. After much prayer and thought, we have begun the application to foster Ava. We know that this is a long and uncertain road. If approved, we could begin to foster Ava and after three months we would begin the adoption process. This could take up to two years.

We would deeply appreciate your prayers. Please pray especially for Ava: she has had a rough start in life and has passed through many hands. Pray for her health as she has struggled with some illness (all the babies at the orphanage deal with chronic cough and cold). Pray for the orphanage as they deal with the Kenyan courts to secure a birth certificate so that Ava would be adoptable (we have been told that birth certificates are very hard to get in Kenya).

We are so thankful that God has always been there with Ava and that she is part of His story: "God saw her before she was born. Every day of her life was recorded in His book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thought about her, O God. They cannot be numbered!" (Psalm 139)