No more pitty party....let's roll!

Adoption is near and dear to our hearts. Down Syndrome is too. So why not combine the two and give a loving home to someone who deserves the love of a father and mother? And yet, if these are things that are near and dear to my heart, why do I fear?

Down Syndrome is something I have lived with for 24 years. My youngest sister was born with Downs. Amy is the reason I became a special education teacher. Amy has touched so many lives and inspired countless people. I have spent the last 16 years in the Special Education field. I worked for 7 summers at our county MRDD and have taught for the last nine. I work with kiddos with varying abilities. Some of my kiddos are working on the very basic of skills such as responding to his/her name and activating a toy using a switch. Other students are working on various academic skills as well as being social with his/her age grouped peers.

Today after rocking Hannah to sleep, I layed down in bed with Doug. As we began to talk about a little one that is in need of a home, I began to express my concerns to him. "Can I do it? Am I good enough to parent 2 children? What will happen down the road?" All of these questions, during a rational moment, I know the answer to. I know I can do this. I know We can do this. Doug reminded me of something that our pastor said today during our niece's baptism. "God had a plan laid out for Maria even before she was born...". Doug told me he truly believes that God planted this seed in my heart because it was in my plan before I was even born. There is a little one waiting for us. It is in her plan that God made for her.

I got on the internet and visited one of my favorite blogs "Cornish Adoption Journey". In one of the posts, Meredith referenced a piece that was on Dateline recently. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26332429
The piece is about institutions in Serbia. We have adopted from Ukraine, and look to adopt from there again. I know no two countries are the same, but I can't help but wonder if conditions in Ukrainian institutions are similar to what I have just watched and read about. Children with disabilities in Ukraine are rarely seen in the public. I think it is shameful for people to keep a child with a disability. If a child is given up, they go to an orphanage with other "typical" children. Once the child with a disability turns 4 or 5, he/she is sent to an institution to spend the rest of his/her life.

watching that video was like a swift kick from the Lord. Urging me to take that next step. There is a little one half way across the world waiting for a deserving family. That little one deserves the chance to thrive. I may not be the best parent, yet I can offer that little one a lot of love and support every day of his/her life.

Time to leave the pity party I've been at today and roll out the paperwork. Will you please pray for us as we take the next step to bring a little one home?