Phoebe

Imagine that you have made the decision to invest in a home.  This has not been made flippantly.  You've soul searched, checked your finances, talked with friends, and made the decision to start the process.

One day your realtor calls you.  She says, "Log onto your computer right now!  I have sent you the information on a home for sale."  You can barely contain the excitement as you log on and wait for what seems like days for the info to load.  And there it is.  It is like a dream come true.  Your heart is beating quickly.  Your hands are shaking as you scroll through the details.  You begin imagining your family making a thousand memories inside the house.  You fast forward to Christmas celebrations, kids losing teeth, prom, graduation…  You've already decided at first sight that you love this home.

The realtor reminds you to be realistic.  There are some things not quite completed in this home.  It has a few issues.  You will need to do some work and it may take time and money.  "That's okay, you announce.  We want to buy it!"  Because…you're not afraid of a little hard work.

Just before closing, your realtor calls you with some bad news.  The inspection revealed that the house is in worse shape than you thought.  The foundations has cracks.  The plumbing is a mess, and the whole thing needs rewired.  But, she laughs nervously and says, "At least you still have time to pull out of the deal."  "I mean, who wants to buy a broken house?"

You sit with your family and you feel shock.  The dream begins to die as you are faced with a decision.  Do you go ahead with the sale?  Do you buy something that will take far more effort than you think you have?  Or do you get out now….while you can?  And if you settle into a house that you find in the future, do you sigh with relief that you dodged a bullet?  Or do you always wonder what could have been?

What would you do?  I think if we are honest, most of us would walk away from the broken home.

But, what if we weren't talking about a house?  What if our "realtor" was a social worker.  And what if the "house" was a child?  If you plug those details into the same scenario, you would have the current situation of my dear friends.

I remember meeting with them to discuss adoption.  They looked a lot like we did when we started the process.  I think there is a general look of excitement and expectation.  We were thrilled when they jumped in with both feet to the process and started gathering paperwork like their lives depended on it.  I remember getting the call that they had been matched with a little girl.  The only thing I can compare it to is when you give birth and see your child for the first time.  There is a certain AWE attached to it.  We all celebrated and we have walked along side these friends as they wait for what seems like an eternity for China to give approval for travel.

Unfortunately, these friends got a life-changing call last week.  Their daughter in China is sick.  When they sent paperwork off, she was a healthy little toddler.  But now, as information makes its way from hospital to agency to family room, they are learning that their "DREAM" is going to look much different than they thought.

I spoke with these friends a few days ago and asked some real and difficult questions.  Perhaps the most difficult question to ask was whether or not they would continue this pursuit.  "China will give you the option to choose a different child."  I said.  I wasn't being cruel.  I just know how this thing works.  "I know." the husband replied.  And through tears, he responded with a simple phrase. "She's our daughter.  We have to go get her."

Can you understand the gravity of that resolve?  They are going to travel half way across the globe to adopt a child with significant special needs.  She will require special help for the rest of her life.  And at this point, they don't even know what the quality of her life will be.  This goes beyond commitment, friends.

They are currently working on getting a medical expedite so they can travel sooner to bring their daughter home.  The sooner they get her here, the sooner they can have her evaluated and start a plan for her issues.

I am including a link for their fundraising page.  Since things might move quicker than they thought, the money might be due sooner than they had planned.  I'd love to see all of us jump on board and help them raise the final funds to go after Phoebe and have a little left over to start caring for her medical needs.

I know this blog post is getting really long.  But I have to close it out with these final thoughts.  I've been in tears over this situation.  They are not tears of hopelessness.  They are tears of hope and gratefulness.  We live in a culture that runs from the broken.  If something isn't perfect, we don't want it.  But Phoebe's story has reminded me that I follow a God that runs TO the broken.  When He looked at me and saw me broken in sin, he could have turned the other way and said, "Why would I invest my precious resources in someone that is so broken?"  But God didn't see my brokenness.  He saw my beauty.  And that is what we see in Phoebe's story.  She is real.  She is alive.  And she will be part of a family.  She will experience LOVE!  That is beautiful and that inspires me!!!

If you want to be part of this journey, click on the link below. And if you pray…please pray for Phoebe.  Please pray that God will hold her while her parents cannot.  Thank you for your heartbeat toward the orphans of the world.  This is an investment with amazing returns!

Phoebe Moore fundraiser

sweet baby girl before her health issues started

don't you want to kiss that face?