Urgent Prayer Request

This is a very hard post to write because I cannot even begin to imagine the fear my dear friends are experiencing right now. I need to be careful about how much information I give out but I will do my best to explain what I know anyway.

Chris and I have some friends that really mean a lot to us. Mark was my youth pastor growing up and we had Mark marry us. While they were doing a pre-marital counseling we became close to his wife too. This is an amazing family!

I believe it was right before we left for China that Mark stopped by one day and told me they were going to adopt. This was a year and a half ago so this has been a pretty long journey. God called them to a country that is not easy to adopt from, actually I think it may be one of the hardest countries to adopt from but they knew that is where God had their child/children waiting for them. The travel to this country is usually about six weeks.

About 6 weeks ago they finally were able to leave along with their 3 bio kids for the journey of their life. Little did they know it was going to be a journey of roadblock after roadblock. The process for them was that they were to travel to this country and then they would be given a referral of a child/children. Yes, they did not know if God wanted them to bring one child home or 2. The first week in country was not what they expected. There were no children's files available for them to see. After a week they finally got a referral of a beautiful little girl and her little brother.

For about 5 weeks they have been waiting and waiting for a court date and nothing. Other families have come and gone but no court date from them. They have already been in country for 6 weeks and once they get a court date they need to be there about another 4 weeks.

I just got a email this afternoon from them saying that it doesn't look good and they are being told they have about a 0 chance of bringing the children home. They have spent almost everyday for the last 5 weeks or so visiting, loving, holding their children and now they are being told it most likely won't happen.

They are taking their case to the judge on Friday but they have been told that the judge is already against them. They are asking for people to please pray and fast if you can that God would change the heart of this judge.

I will not share the letter they wrote because I did not get permission too but I will share this small part they wrote.

So join us... That God may be honored and praised! That in His mysterious ways He would finish the good work He has started. Please pray! If you are physically able please fast. We know we are not alone, this journey has been an amazing representation of how God's body functions. We trust in God!

We have a very big God, we have a God that has a heart for orphans, we have a God of miracles. Please pray with us that these children would be released into the arms of this incredible family.

Thank you!