Middle of the night meeting date!

A few months ago there was some upheaval in the world of adoptions in Ethiopia.  The ministry that writes the "recommendation" letters stated that they would decrease the number of letters they wrote each day from what some believe was 25-40 (no one knows really the number, it's all speculation) to 5 a day.  Obviously, this change caused great stress in those of us walking this journey.  Less letters = less adoptions = longer waits.

During that same time our agency asked us to pray about these things as their were "meetings" going on.  Who were all a part of these meetings, I am not sure.  I know that agencies directors, representatives from our Gov't, ministries etc. supposably.  All those details I am not privy to, but I do know that during that same time our yahoo group for Ethiopian adoptions with our agency decided to create a 24 hour prayer chain and to cover Ethiopian adoptions in prayer EVERY hour ... night and day.  We had a sign up and we filled those hours.  AND ... we saw the Lord moving!  During that same time, I went to bed one night and told the Lord this "wake me when you want me to pray ... as you know the time and hour that needs the most covering".  HE DID!  Every single night for weeks he awoke me at 3:23.  I wrote about it here.   Go check out what he was up to.

So fast forward to now.  I learned yesterday from friends in country that there are once again "meetings" going on with the newly organized "MOWCYA".  While I don't know details and still await that "official" word, I do know that things don't look good.  During the first bout of these "rumors", I was in country before the "official" release and yet all the guides and precious men who we worked with were very privy to what was coming down the pipe.  While they didn't give me all the details, I was very aware that they knew of big changes that would impact all of us in the adoption community.  Weeks before the "big announcement", they warned me.
This is the case this time as well.  From those in country I am simply hearing that more slow downs are happening and more statements are being made.  Statements that would indeed greatly impact adoptions.

I add a note:  I have not heard this officially from our agency or any other.  


BUT, this is where the Lord and his holy spirit comes in.  This past Friday I had a very uneasy feeling.  I was watching while many of our families were not passing court because of that "letter" (also not totally uncommon).  We haven't seen referrals in some time and it seemed that many of the posts on the yahoo were ones filled with anxious hearts.  Feeling the same I felt prompted to spend the weekend in prayer and asking others to do the same.  THEN ... I awoke Monday morning to posts from a friend in country asking us to pray for Ethiopia adoptions and Tuesday word from some of those same sweet men saying that we need to pray ... pray for "meetings" going on with this same decision making ministry.  Do you think that was just a coincidence ... the Lord calling us to pray before those posts?  I don't.

So what's one to do?  Well, I won't lie ... first ... sob like a baby! YEPPER, I did just that.  It's my human side.  The side that says "I want my son".  I do.  This. is. hard.
Next ... ask for prayers.  Did this too!
And lastly, just before bed, just like last time, last night I asked the Lord "wake me when YOU want me to pray".

Wouldn't you know it.  I got my wake up call.  This time 3:14 am.   I awoke from my slumber knowing I was to pray.  As I sat up in bed and began to pray, with my sleepy, groggy eyes I looked over to my clock and there it was 3:14!  In the middle of the night, I wasn't sure if I had the energy to laugh or cry but I knew ... without a doubt ... it was the his promptings!  The 3 o'clock hour returns!  It appears, I once again have a middle of the night meeting date with my Savior.

You might think it's silly.  You might think there is no correlation.  BUT, I know the Lord and I know in Faith that he is calling us to pray.  We can choose to look on the circumstances of "meetings" and slow downs OR we can join him in doing what he is asking us to do ... have faith, pray with faith and believe he is at work.  Our God created the mountains, surely he is big enough to move them!

So, after a very long and emotional day ... I did just that.  I asked HIM when I could join him and low and behold ... it appears that the 3 o'clock hour here is a pretty important hour in Ethiopia (11:00am).

So, ask him yourself ... being a part of his work sure takes your eyes and fixes them on him, the mountain mover, instead of those "circumstances", the mountains!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" - Phillipians 4:6


“Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce; I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save. " Isaiah 49:25