a call to prayer

A fellow adoptive mom had the great idea to “rally the troops”, so to speak, and gather everyone together in prayer this week. So, at 9pm EST tonight (Monday the 19th) and Wednesday night (the 21st), many of us across the nation (and abroad!) will be praying for Rwandan orphans, those working hard at the Ministry, and those in the process of adopting from Rwanda.

My pastor, J.D., recently preached an excellent sermon on prayer and emphasized the truth that, contrary to popular belief, prayer actually changes things. Prayer, he said, is the preordained way for God’s work to be done, and some outcomes are dependent on our persistent, bold prayers. And that’s precisely what we’re doing here. We’re asking God some bold things about the futures of these children, trusting that He hears us (Psalm 116:1).

Specifically, this is what Matt and I will be praying for this week:

• The orphans living now in Rwanda. For them to be cared for and loved. For their health and protection. For Rwandans to feel the call to care for the orphans through domestic adoption and foster care. For all of these children to be placed into loving families.
• For those working hard at the ministry. For the new Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Aloysia Inyumba, in particular as she settles into her new role. That she and all of the others the ministry would have renewed strength and energy and sense of purpose as they continue on with processing paperwork for waiting families. That they would continue to look favorably upon international adoption. For wisdom as they decide on the future of adoption from Rwanda.
• That that nuns at Home of Hope would be able to efficiently match children with waiting families. That they would be blessed with the necessary resources for running the orphanage and that they would not become burned out from all of their responsibilities.
• That those in charge of the many other orphanages across Rwanda would diligently track down and keep records on their children so that more and more of their orphans would be considered “adoptable”. That we would see orphanages having to close their doors all across Rwanda as the children are placed into families.
• For all of the waiting families- that we would all have the grace to “wait well”. For patience and trust, even in murky waters. That we would have the ability to focus on the here and now rather than only longing for our Rwandan children. That we would not waste the waiting period.
• That in all of this, God would be glorified. Whatever the outcomes of our adoption journeys may be, pray that God’s name would be made great. That everyone involved in this process would walk away from the experience with a better understanding of who God is. That He would be praised, no matter the outcome.

Thank you all for praying! Sorry for being so annoyingly vague here about what’s going on, but I think it’s best this way at this point. Shoot me an email or give me a call if you want to know exactly what’s up, and I’ll fill you in. Thanks, though, for all of the support and love despite my ambiguity. I am beyond humbled once again…