Thursday, December 20, 2012

BIG NEWS!!!!

Wow, it's been quiet on the blog, and for that I am sorry. Life just keeps us busy, and we are about to get busier!

It began a couple months ago, Dustin and I started to think about whether or not to add any more children to our family. We began praying for God to make it clear to us what we should do. We looked into the possibly of having Dustin get his vasectomy reversed, and we agreed that this was what we would do.

HOWEVER, shortly after making this decision, we received an email from an adoption agency (I am on a mailing list with Rainbow Kids, and they send out information on children that they are trying to place that can't be listed on their website for one reason or another). The email was about a sibling set from the Philippines.

Now, if you know anything about Dustin's testimony, you know that the Philippines had a HUGE impact on him and his walk with the Lord. He was there back in Spring of 2002 with Operation Enduring Freedom Philippines. It was while he was there that he was involved in the extraction of Martin and Gracia Burnham (American missionaries that had been held captive for over a year by Abu Sayyaf Guerrillas). Gracia planted seeds of salvation in Dustin's heart that later grew to fruition. The Philippine islands, culture, and people have had a lasting impact on Dustin, and ever since he was there, he has always had a special place in his heart for the Philippines.

We decided to contact the agency to ask for more information about the sibling set and began praying about what we were to do. Once we read their story and saw their beautiful faces, there was no hesitation we would move forward. God gave both of us a complete sense of peace about it.

SO,... WE ARE ADOPTING AGAIN! 

We know people may think we are crazy, but many people thought Jesus was crazy too!

The sibling set has.......(drum roll please)...

SEVEN ADORABLE CHILDREN! Yup, you read that right...7! There are 3 boys and 4 girls ranging in ages from 14 years old to 4 years old, and they are all absolutely precious. We are so excited to start the process to bring these children home to our family.

We are so blessed to have such a wonderful home, farm, medical and dental coverage, the opportunity to home school, and Dustin's job and benefits. We know we have room in our hearts and in our home for these children. Every child deserves a family, and these children, who have already suffered such loss in their lives, deserve to grow up together in a family with a mother and father who loves them unconditionally. We want to be that family for them.

Now, there is a chance that we may not be approved, as we already have so many children in our home, but we are moving forward anyways and praying that God will be clear in His direction and His will for our life; that He will either open the door wide open or slam it shut. We would ask that you pray this prayer with us as well. We do not have the money for the adoption process, but we completely trust that if it is what God wants, He will make it happen. We would also pray that He would be with these children as they wait, and with us as we prepare to go through this process yet again.

We have talked with our kids already in our home, and they were unanimously for starting the adoption process for this sibling set; Bryce and Fas even offered to donate the little bit of their savings to the process, and Blake started going through their stuff seeing what he could sell in a garage sale to raise money! I love their hearts!

The process with the Philippines is different than Ethiopia, and we are not familiar with it.  But, we are already working with a great adoption agency (Christian Adoptive Services), we have started the paper chase, and we look forward to the adventure! Please keep our family in your prayers.

I will do my best to keep the blog updated as we go through the process.

Amazing coordination: Several weeks ago, we had a family friend that was looking to get rid of their 15 passenger van. They wanted to trade it for our smaller vehicle, and we agreed.  This was weeks before we even knew about this sibling set. Not sure if you're quick with math, but 7 children from the Philippines, plus the 8 family members in our home currently, will make us a family of 15. How's that for perfect planning of our Heavenly Father?!

We definitely will need to do some fundraising, and we would welcome any suggestions! A Sea of Hope is having their annual Quarter Auction in February, and they have already agreed that proceeds from that auction will go towards our adoption! YAY! Thank you A Sea of Hope.

So, please start collecting donations from stores (a lot of times if you ask a store for a donation and you tell them the cause, they will donate), gift cards are always a big hit, gift baskets, and so on. There are also opportunities for vendors to set up booths! If you are interested in helping in any way with the Quarter Auction or have any other suggestions for fundraising ideas, please email me: the.bestul.family@gmail.com

Thank you for your prayers and for your support!


Sunday, December 9, 2012

‎"I used to wonder if I was ready to be an adoptive parent, until I realized that children are never ready to be orphans." -Glenn Styffe