Sunday, December 31, 2006

Who Knows What the New Year Holds

We were at the airport yesterday to welcome home Caleb Lowery who was just adopted from Ethiopia, and I couldn't help but wonder when and how it might be for us. Adoption is all about waiting, and just like absence makes the heart grow fonder, waiting for something... something as beautiful and wonderful as a life, increases the anticipation and excitement. Will it be a girl? Will it be a boy? Perhaps both? What will they look like? How old will they be? It is our hope and prayer that in 2007, we'll know the answer to all those questions. So we wish you and your family the very best in 2007, and to our children somewhere in Liberia, we look forward to welcoming you home.

Happy New Year!

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Preparing for Adoption

For those of you who have adopted, you know the mountains of paperwork and documents that have to be signed, notorized, and filed. Kim thankfully has been taking care of most of it - reading over the paperwork, filling it out, and showing me where to sign. My part has been figuring out the financial aspects, making sure we can afford not only the process, but the children once we have them. Right now we are still praying for God's direction in whether to adopt one or two. But we have secured financing today and are prepared for all the necessary expenses.

Friends of ours, Danny and Kristen Lowery are in Ethiopia right now picking up their son Caleb. So reading about their experience has been really fun as we envision what our experience might be. We shared with my family over Christmas that we are adopting, so that they can prepare for a future with more Basten's running around - and hopefully share in our joy.

Many of you know that Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman has adopted 3 girls from China. He wrote a song titled "When Love Takes You In" about his experience adopting their first daughter. Click on the link to hear the song and see pictures of adoptions that have occured thru Acres of Hope Liberia. We hope to someday see our picture there.

Happy New Year!

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Journey Begins

We've created this blog to share our journey of adoption with our friends and family. We are excited for all that God has in store for us. We ask that you would join us in prayer for our children. We want this whole process to be about dependence and trusting in God to lead the way. Somewhere out there in this vast earth is a child (or children) that God has planned for our family.

Our journey initially began in Haiti but has now taken us to Liberia in western Africa. Our eyes have been opened in just this short time to the vast number of orphans out there that just need a home and a family to be the hands and feet of Jesus for them. Kim recently heard a survey of adopted children what the best thing about being adopted was and #1 was having 3 meals a day #2 was having a family. All those orphans out there have physical, emotional and spiritual needs. But unless their physical needs are met, their not going to be receptive to their emotional or spiritual needs being met.

We've applied and been accepted by Acres of Hope Liberia to pursue our adoption. We'll be working with the foster care agency (ECFA) we've been licensed with for the past 9 years to do our Home Study. Our social worker will be here Tuesday January 2nd. We know this is going to be a lengthy process, but we'll enjoy each step of the way.

As Christians, we've all been adopted into God's family. God went to great lengths to achieve that adoption for us. It cost him greatly through his son Jesus, and so as we go through this process, I hope to understand more fully what all that means, and to have a greater appreciation for the fact that God chose me.

God's Blessings to you and Merry Christmas

P.S. Where is Liberia?