I was told by 4 friends this past week that they have been checking my blog and haven't seen any updates.  Wow- so touched that people are checking in and have Sarah on their minds even without getting updates from us.  THANKS!

I don't have much news to report- except that we need to keep praying for a miracle.  Ambassador Calvert is still looking into options, but has told Marie it is a long road and that so far he has not been able to make any progress.  But, he also said that Sarah is on the minds of many people in his office as they continue to look for a way to help Sarah.  Please pray that some kind of door will OPEN.  We are still hopeful.  In the meantime, we are so grateful that Sarah is healthy, learning lots and developing!  Here's a beautiful picture of her we got a few weeks ago.  The 2nd picture is of Sarah and some of the other children.  They are all so beautiful, but I've got to say that Sarah is the cutest (of course I'm a BIT biased! :)

Also, some friends of ours visited Sarah and Place of Rescue this summer.  Here is a link to a blog entry they did about their visit to Cambodia....a bit of the history of the country and a summary of their visit to Place of Rescue and Sarah.  

http://brenoandmel.wordpress.com/2013/10/19/phnom-penh-dark-past-bright-future/

Waiting.....Hoping and Believing

I was telling Joel last week that I knew I should be updating the blog, but I wasn't sure what to write because we don't have any "updates" to report.  And he responded by telling me that that is exactly what I should write.  So- people...friends and family...we haven't had any updates lately and are asking you to pray with us for some good news soon :)  

Waiting for something positive is such a wonderfully exciting experience.  Waiting for something negative to happen on the other hand can be an extremely painful experience filled with dread and anxt.  I feel like these last few years have been a mixture of both types of waiting for us.  I have waited with such eagerness, hoping to hear good news that Sarah can finally come join our family.  I have waited with anxiousness and dread, fearing that we would find out that we could never adopt Sarah.  And I have waited with a very "cautious" heart...attempting to guard from future disappointment and to "play it safe".  
Is there a right way to wait?  Do we speak constant "words of faith" and never admit the possibility that it may not work out how we think it should....in hopes that our attitude will somehow bring about the result we want?  Do we wait with a small measure of hope, but surround that hope with lots of caution and reasoning so that we can avoid disappointment or feeling like God did not "come through" as we had thought?  
I think I have tried both of these...and neither has worked that well for me.  I am no expert on waiting, but I have learned that for me- waiting means hoping and trusting that whatever the outcome is...IT WILL BE OK.  I also am learning that hope is a beautiful thing.  Life without hope has such little joy.  I KNOW that God loves me and that He loves Sarah.  I also know that life doesn't always work out exactly how we humans wish or think it should.  But I know as I wait that God is good, He is giving me peace for each day and I love living in faith.  I do believe Sarah is supposed to join our family.  I don't know how or when, and as much as I wish I knew the answers to those questions, I can either choose to wait fearing an outcome and missing out on the joy of day to day life, or I can live each day hoping and trusting.  Marie (the director of the orphanage Sarah is living in) said that when she is unsure of whether or not she should continue forward in faith in an area in her life, she asks God to either change her heart's desire or to keep it.  We have sought to have this surrendered heart and have not felt our heart's desire change.  
It is hard to know that with each passing day we are missing out on a day of our sweet daughter's life. It is hard to have no timeline in place to "plan out our lives" (as I love to do :).  It is hard to explain to James why Sarah is still in Cambodia.  But it is a good place to be and I realize that the more I let go of trying to control how I think life should be, the more I can enjoy the life that I am given each day.  I cling to the promise that...in my weakness, God is strong :)  
And so, we will keep waiting, hoping and believing.  Please join us!

Joel's Turn at the Blog

Joel's Turn at the Blog

Hello.  This is Joel.  I get a turn at this blog. 

So since the last post it has been very neat watching God move.  Even though Sarah is not home yet, we have been overwhelmed by the people that this story has touched and who are willing to help us out. 

I am sure all of you know that there has been a flood in southern Alberta. Our family was preparing to go to Samuels Ride for Rescue. It was supposed to take place June 22 but it has been rescheduled due to the flooding (it is now scheduled for August 10).

I am guessing that many of you had heard about the Cambodian orphanage giving money to help out with the flood.  If not, here is a link: http://www.calgaryherald.com/touch/story.html?id=8584043 and http://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=956674&playlistId=1.1346849&binId=1.810401&playlistPageNum=1 .   To get things straight … Paul Brandt with Samaritans Purse visits Place of Rescue twice and forms a connection with the orphanage.  The wife of the Prime Minister of Cambodia went to this orphanage and as an act of her generosity gave them what is equivalent to $12 each.  A flood happens a world away and these kids give half of their money to help people in Alberta (through Paul’s Build it Forward foundation).  People catch wind of the Cambodian kid’s generosity and they make the news.  The Canadian Ambassador to Thailand and Cambodia, Philip Calvert, hears about them and stops by Place of Rescue to meet these kids.  Marie puts Sarah in his arms and asks for help.  He has an adopted son himself and tells Marie he hopes he can help.  We are praying that the Ambassador will have some advice, connections or direction for us to move forward. He is in a perfect position- with connections to both Cambodian and Canadian governments.  I just have to smile and think about how Jesus flips this world upside down.  Now, we do not know what exactly the Ambassador is able to do, but it is sure neat watching the Maker move mountains.

When I started writing this it was Sarah’s third birthday.  We thought we could get her before she was two, but obviously God has other plans.  I believe it is our role to figure out what those plans are and take JOY in the process.  If we believed that God did not want us to pursue her we would stop.  For myself, Sarah is not the goal.  The goal is to be faithful to God.  So if God wants to do a miracle and stop the trafficking and allow international adoption between Canada and Cambodia, then to Him be the glory.  If God wants to do a miracle and in some unforeseen way bring Sarah to our family, then He would put in our hearts His love for her.  It’s a love that we do not understand, but it is there right now.  To Him be the glory.

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  (This is from the Bible.  Read it all, it is really good)

Canadian Ambassador holding Sarah.

A Bit of Cambodian Publicity!


Last week the Cambodian Prime Minister's wife (Bun Rany) visited Sarah's orphanage!  
There is footage of her holding Sarah!  
If you want to watch it here is the link.  Scroll ahead to 53:20 and you will see her for about 50 seconds.  Apparently she is usually very shy, so it's a miracle she let Bun Rany hold her.


http://www.khmerlive.tv/archive/20130531_TVK_Daily_News.php#.Uajdl8bl8Gs.facebook


The Prime Minister's wife is interested in Sarah's situation and is willing to try to help!  Of course, she has no control of the Canadian side of things (which is where the roadblock is), BUT we are hoping that her influence and interest may help make the Cambodian side of things smoother and possibly help in some other ways.  

We have also had a few other people step forward and offer us some help!  This has been SUCH a gift as we have been praying specifically for guidance and wisdom with how to move forward.  Please keep praying for Canadian gov't officials to be open to hearing about our situation and to be willing to help.  

It has been amazing really- in the past month the Cambodian P.Minister's wife met Sarah, wonderful people offered to help us out with appealing our gov't, Joel's friends visited Sarah while travelling in Asia (a picture below!) and got us some precious pictures of Sarah, and people have been super supportive.  Thanks so much for your support, prayers, encouragement and interest.  It means a tonne!

"God I was Thinking...."

"Mommy look!  I'm colouring like Sarah!"

A few weeks ago I was tucking our wonderful 3 year old son James into bed.  We were praying together and James was thanking God for how God made him... "Thanks God for making me funny." (I love children's freedom to love the way they are made!) As we do every night, he then prayed that God would "bring Sarah to our family."  Then he added, "And God thanks for making Sarah special without arms, but God I was thinking that maybe you could take one of my hands and put it on Sarah's so we could each have a hand". 

I was so touched by his selfless compassion.  That he already loves Sarah like a big brother and has been thinking in his little mind about sharing his hands with her. 

Yesterday I got a facebook message from someone in Manitoba I have never met.  She heard Marie Ens share about Place of Rescue (Sarah's orphanage) and she heard about Sarah.  This is a bit of her message...
"My son, who is now 8, is especially interested in Sarah's story.  As I was tucking him into bed tonite, he had lots of questions about the adoption process and why it had to be so difficult.  I told him that there are lots of people praying for Sarah to be able to come to Canada soon, and that the government would allow the adoption to happen.  He then looked at me and said, "does the government not realize how many of us are praying?!"  She sent me another message where her son said, "Mom, it feels good to be able to help them so much!"  She asked him what he meant and he said, "because we are praying for them.  And praying is the biggest thing we can do!"

Sarah's life is touching many.  James has learned so much through this challenging process...about faith, perseverance, love, patience and acceptance. And most importantly we pray he is learning that even if life does not always work out how we think it should...that God is GOOD and we can still have peace and hope in the struggles.  I am thankful that Sarah's life is also touching this little boy in Manitoba...and I know her story is not going to be wasted.   Sarah's Canadian grandparents, great-grandparents, family, our friends and so many others already love her and are touched by her little life.

I know that James will have challenges ahead being the big brother of a little sister who needs extra help and attention.  BUT I trust that God has already been preparing him by giving him a compassionate heart that will grow in character and love for all of the different types of people he will  encounter in life.  Already, this experience has been worth it.

A Success Story....

In 2005 a family in Calgary adopted a beautiful Cambodian boy named Samuel.  Samuel, like Sarah, is an amputee.  He is missing both hands and part of one of his legs.  Laws were different in 2005, and the Seehawers were able to adopt Samuel despite Canada's suspension on adoptions from Cambodia.

Samuel is now a healthy 8 year old boy who is doing extraordinary things!  Had he stayed in Cambodia, he would probably have never survived.  With a loving family, supports from our wonderful health care system, and a lot of enthusiasm...Samuel is living a full and inspiring life.  

Check out this 3 minute video on Global's website showing Samuel as one of the Everyday Heroes!  http://globalnews.ca/news/223715/samuel-seehawer/

Also, check out "Samuel's Ride for Rescue":http://www.samuelsrideforrescue.com/default.html

This June will be Samuel's 4th Ride for Rescue.  When Samuel first heard about Sarah, he got inspired to do something to try to help out children like Sarah who are without parents and in need.  Ride for Rescue came into being and thousands of dollars have been raised for Place of Rescue because of Samuel's bravery and passion.  We dream of the day that Sarah can join Samuel on his ride!

We would love for Sarah to have the same opportunities that Samuel has had.  We would love for her life to touch others in Canada and for her to grow up knowing she has such potential and an amazing future ahead of her despite her physical challenges.  Sam's story inspires us and reminds us that with God anything is possible!

The Plan?....

In my last post I shared a bit about the problem we are facing of not being able to pursue adopting Sarah.  
Some people have asked us, "What is your plan?"    I wish we had a clearcut, well formulated answer to that question.  But at this point...we don't.  

Our current "plan" is to knock on every door we can think of.  To ask anyone and everyone for ideas/information and support to help us advocate for Sarah.
Ideally- we would like to be granted an exception.  To be given permission to pursue adopting Sarah due to her medical needs.  We aren't sure how to go about requesting this, but are exploring some ideas, and hoping for someone with some authority in the gov't to guide us through the steps.  

We have also considered getting some legal assistance.  To find out if there is an alternate way to bring Sarah to Canada...perhaps on a medical visa?  Or as a refugee (as she is considered to be "changray" or "evil" in Cambodia because of her disability- will explain this term and belief in a future blog).  We are open and asking anyone for ideas on this.  Anyone know a good immigration or international adoption lawyer?  

Having been pregnant and experienced the bonding with my son before he was born, I can honestly say that I feel the same love and connection to Sarah.  I feel a passionate "mother's heart" for her and Joel feels the same.  Asking for help, researching political/legal options etc. is NOT in our comfort zone and not something we would naturally do.  We don't like living in the public eye and it is uncomfortable for us to even share our story like this on a blog.  But we have made the choice that we need to step out and stand up for our little girl.  We need to do everything we can.  We have peace knowing that she is loved and cared for by God, and that He knows and understands her future.  He is good and despite our frustrations we cling to the faith in our hearts, trusting that He will either help us to bring Sarah home, or will show us clearly that He has another plan for her life. 

So, we don't have a clear-cut plan.  But God does.  And we are going to keep moving forward in any ways we can to try to bring Sarah home.  If anyone has any advice/information or contacts you want to share with us, we are more than happy to hear from you.  We need a strong team around us and are grateful for your support!

The Problem....

I mentioned in our first post that right now Sarah is "stuck" in Cambodia.  We are so thankful she is in a great orphanage that loves her and cares for her needs.  (Check out placeofrescue.com).   But as much as they love her, the directors of the orphanage also strongly believe that Sarah needs to be placed in a loving family who can give her the extra love and attention she needs...and to be in a place where she can access the extra supports that would benefit her.  Supports that she will not receive in Cambodia. 

As I mentioned before, Cambodia (as of Jan 2013) is now open for inter-country adoptions.  Canada, however, is not allowing Canadian citizens to adopt from Cambodia.  
We have not been able to get many straight answers on why Canada has maintained its suspension on Cambodia. But from what we have researched and been told by our AB gov't...it boils down to our government deciding that Cambodia does still not yet meet the requirements of the Hague Convention.  (For info on what the Hague is you can read: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/adoption/hague.asp .) In the past, there have been some cases of child trafficking.  Children who were not legitimate orphans were being sold to families in the States who did not know the true story of the children.  Money was being made by dishonest people in Cambodia taking advantage of poor/desperate families.  

The frustrating part for us, is that we are BY ALL MEANS in support of stopping child trafficking and for improving adoption programs to ensure the safety of all children.  BUT by stopping adoptions completely, there are so many children (like Sarah) who are LEGITIMATE orphans who are being denied the right to be a part of a loving adoptive family.   It is not in Sarah's best interest to have to wait.  We don't believe she should have to "suffer" for all of the problems that others have caused.  There is paperwork proving that Sarah is an orphan and that her parents are not choosing to keep her.  There is strong research and information that explains how important it is for children to bond with their adoptive families at as young age as possible.  She is missing out on opportunities to access prosthetics and other therapy etc. that would help her to live a successful life without arms.  

So, this is the problem.  Our AB gov't knows we want to adopt Sarah, the Cambodian gov't knows that we want to adopt Sarah.  The Cambodian gov't is willing to cooperate, but the AB gov't is not willing to let us move forward.  We keep getting told that we have to "wait".  We have been waiting...and waiting...and waiting.  It is one thing to wait with a guaranteed date and "yes" at the end to look forward to.  It is a whole other ballgame to wait with no idea of when it will happen...or if it will ever happen.  We are hoping and praying for a miracle.  We are hoping and praying for another door to open that we can pursue to bring Sarah home.   

Waiting...

It is hard to believe that our adoption journey began over 3 1/2 years ago!  After what seemed like endless paperwork, tears, excitement and a lot of research we still felt unsure of what path God had for us.  Our passion is to welcome a child into our home who would not normally be chosen for adoption.  Despite the desperate need for families to adopt orphans, with all of the red tape and other complications, no options seemed to click for our family.  Until we heard about Sarah!  It is hard to explain (and I will tell the story of the day God "conceived" Sarah in our hearts in another post) but when we first heard about the possibility of adopting Sarah...we just "knew" it was the right fit.  We fell in love with her instantly and felt God assuring us that we were supposed to pursue adding Sarah to our family.
We had been told in July 2011 that Cambodia would open up to adoptions in April 2012.  We excitedly waited for that day, looking forward to being able to send in our application to adopt.  We knew that the process would be long even after sending in our application, but we were excited to get started!  In January 2012, we were devastated to find out that Cambodia had delayed their opening date to January 2013.  We waited another year, hoping and praying for a miracle.  Sadly, on January 2, 2013 we found out that although Cambodia had opened up their adoption program...Canada was NOT willing to allow its citizens to adopt Cambodia children.  (Canada is not allowing this for a number of reasons- which I will explain in another post).
We are now back to WAITING again.  For an unknown date when Canada may or may not end up deciding to allow Cambodian adoptions to proceed.
Sarah has no arms.  She needs a family.  She would benefit greatly from the health care opportunities available to her in Canada...such as prosthetics and therapy.  She will be 3 in less than a month and is at a crucial age for bonding and attachment to happen.  James would love a sibling and we desperately want our daughter to be with us.
We are confused.  We have wondered and asked ourselves and God over and over...what are we supposed to do?  Do we "let Sarah go" and "move on" with our lives?  If this is what God knows is best for Sarah...as hard as it would be...we are willing.  BUT we have not felt God leading us this way. We feel as attached and committed to her as when we first began.  We believe that God can make a way where there is no way.  We have hope that one day we will be together!  Please pray for a door to be opened.  We are open to ideas and advice as we explore a way for Sarah to come home.