the stamp that changed it all

             Usually, life changing events are loud and apparent; the wails of a newborn baby, the rush of paparazzi after an event, the honking of horns, fanfare. Sometimes, these moments are silent. I have no news, and tons of news. Nothing to tell you and everything. This week we officially mailed in our "official" adoption application.  On Tuesday morning my sweet husband stuck a stamp on that prayed over envelope and handed it over to the post office. I'm excited to share (finally) and publically (go ahead and chat on facebook now ;-) ) that we ARE pursuing a domestic open adoption of a baby girl.  Now that the application is out of our hands we get ready for the next step.. whatever that may be. I wish I had a checklist already and real evidence to show you that we are now expecting our baby girl, but I don't. First, we have to be officially accepted ;-). And then there's an orientation, and a life book, and a long wait. And then there's a mama to be who has to pick us, choose US to raise her baby. This could happen this year, or next year or never. We believe it will happen. We believe someday we look back and say this was the week it began. If this adoption were to be compared to a hike up mount Everest, we are not even to Nepal! Nope, we've just walked into REI to start filling our cart with gear. This will definitely be an amazing journey and we have so much to learn. Our hearts are all ready for a baby sister (except for Silas who insists he already has a baby sister named Cora who is a friend at church).  We love her, we want her, so now we pursue her.
              Today is sex trafficking awareness day. My heart is stilled for all of the stolen daughters on this planet. There are more slaves today than any time in history. These were babies held by mothers. Who loves them now? Who pursues them today? When I was pregnant with my firstborn, young and terrified, I had a pedicure done. The young woman wistfully told me in very broken English that she had left her baby girl home, on the other side of the world, with her mother so she could come to the US [scrub filthy feet in a filthy mall} and earn a living to support her. A mothers love knows no distance. Take a moment today to consider modern slavery. Take a moment to pray for the forgotten daughters, the ones we too often forget.