Responding In Faith

Here is a note that was posted on the Rutledge family blog:

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Successful meeting at the Embassy

The meeting at the Embassy went well. Both visas were issued. Dan and Angel have both children with them and they are on the way to the orphanage after the meeting. Tuesday things will be finalized. Praise the Lord!!

Angel and Henry are very cute and very quiet as they get used to lots of new things. The children said their first hello over the phone.

The B team - Grandpa

Praise the Lord for answered prayers!  Thank you to all of you who were praying for this family!!  Maybe today they will see our precious boys!!  I am so excited for them and so very anxious to hear news about our boys!  I don’t know why, but I feel like we are getting closer.  Just knowing that someone can lay eyes on them and give us updates it such a relief for me!

Just adding two to the family has been a major adjustment as far as routines and schedules.  We are still working on getting a good school routine in order.  It is slow, but it is coming.  I feel like Brandy and Carol Jean have always been with us.  I guess it is those seeds that God plants in our hearts!

I am realizing I have so much organizing to get done before the boys get here.  I hope to get certain “systems” into place to make things flow more freely!  My joke around here is that once I finally getting organized, the children will be grown and on their own!!   I thank my wonderful friend Jennifer Talbert who comes over and helps me clean out and organize every two weeks.  She has truly been a blessing to me.  Maybe by the time the boys get here, we will have some pretyy good systems in place!!

I think people think that when you add an older child to the family that you don’t need any type of help or support.  Oh, that is so far from the truth.  I wish people shared the excitement that we have.  For some reason it is thought that only when a baby arrives that excitement is shared.  Not sure why.  I hear this from a lot of adoptive parents.  It truly saddens my heart.  All of our children are blessings from God and each one of them has truly blessed Russell and I richly!  God tells us that we are supposed to care for the orphans.  We are not the blessing to the children, they are the blessing to us.

If I have been slow to respond to emails or requests or falling short in some of my duties outside of my home, I apologize.  Our family has grown and we are learning about each other and building important relationships and attachments.  So now more then ever, my children are my mission field.  My focus is on them.  We appreciate all the prayers that have been lifted up for our family and our family that is on the other side of the ocean!  Please continue to pray for us all!

Please continue to pray for the Rutledge family and their safety while in Liberia.  Please pray for their children that are at home with their grandparents.  This has been difficult for them.  Please pray that our boys will take the news wonderfully!