Andy and I shared this with the kids and they were immediately on board. Their request was a little brother from an African country. However, a couple of months later, God spoke through the Holy Spirit to me during a quiet time that we were to return to Moldova for this second adoption. There was not doubt that God has spoken to me, so I called Andy and he said okay!
I immediately called our adoption agency in North Carolina and was told that they were not taking any applications for Moldova at that time. We were told that the Ministry of Social Services in Moldova was dragging their feet in clarifying their new adoption laws. As a result, CAS did not feel they could take a family's application without being up front with them on the requirements. They had three families already stuck in the middle of Moldova adoptions due to the changes, and they did not want other families to experience this. Of course, I was thinking, okay God, what is up with this? You clearly told me Moldova! Thus, began my monthly check in with CAS about any headway the Moldovan Gov't may have made with finalizing adoption changes.
A couple of months later, Beth wanted to verify with me that we would be adopting a girl. I stopped in my tracks! I realized that when I thought about the adoption I always had a vision of a little girl and a little boy close in age. When Beth asked this, my thoughts came very real and concrete. I shared this with Beth and she immediately asked, "have you told Daddy." My response was that I just didn't think I could tell him. I mean ever adopting one more child was going to be a stretch in every way imaginable; how could we handle adopting two.
I prayed that if I was right about this, that God would speak to Andy completely independent of me.
In October of 2012, I made my monthly call to CAS after seeing an update on their website about a little movement in Moldova. They shared with me about two children with special needs that they had just received info. on. The little boy was five and the little girl was two. They shared this information with me as an either/or choice having no idea about my sensing that we were to adopt two children close in age and one boy and one girl. I still needed Andy's independent affirmation and continued to pray.
We shared the info on the two children with the kids and began regular prayer/family meetings. Beth nor I shared the idea of adopting both. Andy would discuss the practical side of adopting the two yr. old and then later he thought maybe it would be better to adopt the five yr. old. Then one day, he called and said, "I think we need to adopt both of them!" I was driving and almost lost control of my emotions. I finally shared with him my "visions" and how God had been leading me. We were both so overcome with God's goodness and love and how He answers prayer! I hope I never grow jaded by the wonders of our Heavenly Father! I can't really express my emotions during and after that phone call. I will also play it over in my mind as we journey through this adoption process knowing that was such confirmation of God's calling.
As soon as I could, I called CAS and told them we wanted to adopt both children. This took them by surprise but they were ready to accept our application. Thus, the journey began!
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| The Birchfields at Christmas 2012 |
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| Dow, Beth and Andy after just completing the TreeTop Adventure at Callaway Gardens, Dec. 2012 |
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| Hope at Christmas, 2012 (she is five and 1/2) |
