Look at this beautiful ornament I saw on Pinterest via Etsy. Here is a link to the shop where you can find it.

There were just a few more questions I had for Sarah.

What has been the hardest part so far?

Money, Money, Money. It takes so much faith for God to press something on your heart that you know FOR SURE you can’t pull off in and of yourself. So much so, that at first I was like “we can only afford a domestic adoption!” God continues to show himself faithful…of course.

What things do you ask people to pray about in support of your adoption?

Guess what? Money!! There is more, too …

Smoothness of process -There are endless opportunities for bumps along the way. (craters, actually!)

Speed – Every time I send something in, I pray over it and all the hands it is in.

Influence of the Gospel

Patience

Current contentment

I loved this post Josh did about the unknown. I’m sure it’s difficult to give up the desire for control sometimes. Are there any more struggles (that you are comfortable sharing– specific to motherhood, perhaps) that have surprised you along the way? (Anything you weren’t expecting to feel/worry about?)

I think even if I were pregnant again I would have this same worry: “Will I have room to love even more?” I felt this with each of my 3 pregnancies. This is a passing thought and  I KNOW there is TONS of love left to give.

Also Josh and I are MAJORLY affectionate with our children. We have made them all promise to continue to kiss us on the mouth even when they are teenagers:) We have wondered how others will  perceive our same affection with a non biological child of a different race. Not to sound like a weirdo, but we just LOVE to have our kids sleep with us and sit on our laps. We love smellin’ em and just kissin’ em up to death. Naturally we will do the same with our new addition.

Anyone interested in helping the Perrys on this journey can donate by clicking on the ‘donate’ button on their sidebar, or email sarah.perry@crewcommunity.org  and order some of the nifty t-shirts you see in these pics. Those proceeds will definitely help the proceedings.

Sarah, what prompted you and your family to pursue an overseas adoption?

Our love for children and our love for the gospel.

Are your kids excited about it?

YES:) I don’t think they understand it all, but we try to explain the best we can so they do. They all say they want to share a bedroom with her. [the baby sister they're planning to adopt] On their own, they pray for her which is too freakin cute!!

Are there any books/resources you would recommend to someone thinking about adoption of any sort? Specifically overseas/African?

The Bible, Adopted for life by Russell Moore, countless blogs. Literally 6 months before we officially said we were adopting we read, read, read & prayed:)

To us, it has been like a three step process (not counting fund raising….that is ongoing).

1. Get our home study done – which is where a social worker requires an obscene amount of paperwork and several interviews are conducted, one including even a study of our home – COMPLETE!!! We’ve been working through all of this since January.

2. Compiling our dossier – which is a big bunch of official paperwork for the Ethiopian government. We’re just waiting on ONE last paper to come in…out of about 40.  After our dossier is sent to Ethiopia, we will officially be on the wait list. Average wait for an infant girl is 15 months right now.

3. Wait, Wait, Wait! is the last thing. When we get a referral for our baby girl, then the hustle and bustle of traveling over there 2 times will begin. We have to make 2 visits.

Were you mentally prepared for the red tape?

Josh was. He is able to keep a little more distance from it. He knows it is a long process and has just submitted to it (kinda like a pregnancy huh?). I, on the other hand, am a little more emotionally involved. I knew it would be a long process but I also struggle with control and therefore try to look for ways to speed up the red tape. When there is something to be done on a time line (which is about once a week) I literally work on it non stop…not good….but being honest. So for me, NO! I wasn’t ready but just had to jump in and start somewhere right? Even if you are prepared, more red tape will pop up…it is endless…but worth it!

First, let me tell you about my friend Sarah. We go way back. Well, at least to the tenth grade.  What a fireball she was–the new girl on campus that you just couldn’t NOT like. With eyes that flashed, a smile that lit up the room, (nay, the entire building!) and a laugh that was unbelievably contagious, she was this little bundle of energy and excitement. And she loved kids. We all just knew that she would grow up and have 10 of her very own. She knew how to engage children, make them laugh and cuddle them up as if she’d been born a mother. (She was supposed to be my roommate in college, but she had to go and find a man and eventually marry him. That seemed more important to her than being a security blanket for me…selfish, selfish girl. Wait! This isn’t about me, is it?)

I watched her marry the man of her dreams one summer, and soon after, get whisked off with him to seminary. She came back with 3 babies and a heart for people and God–big surprise! They followed His leading and began a work that is now growing and thriving under super leadership.  We’ve kept in touch over these years, and it’s been so fun to see her grow by leaps and bounds, to see her raise children (alongside her man) with the same big hearts, great smiles, and fun personalities.

I’ve also seen her family’s desire to share all that loveliness grow from a tiny spark into this big flame: adoption. And that’s what I want to share with you this week. Not only because I’m just so proud of who my friend has become in Christ, but also because I think it’s important to share how we as individuals and families can spread the bounty with which we all have been blessed. If not by physically going and doing ourselves, then by helping others as they go and do.

Later this week I’ll be posting a two part interview with Sarah, so you can see her heart and not just take my word for it. But you don’t have to wait.  You can follow the progress of the Perry’s adoption on their blog and on Facebook.  Sarah also contributes to the {{real}} women of Crew Community blog.