Wednesday, September 18, 2013

ADOPTING TWO: Our SON with Dwarfism!


We are overjoyed to announce 
that in addition to Haven




we will be bringing home 
a 2-year-old little boy 
with dwarfism from China!




In order to explain what has happened here, 
we need to tell you about our other son 
who went to be with Jesus last week.


This story is his legacy.


This is the story of our family... 
of broken people walking towards Home. 

---

I recently received a message from a missionary friend serving in China who is a Sister to me.  Her family actually adopted the first boy I ever advocated for in Ethiopia.  

"I thought about you and Haven a lot yesterday.  I spent the afternoon at the orphanage in our city.  There is a new baby...he has dwarfism.  He has a lot of health problems and is very weak..."



My heart skipped a beat as I opened the pictures.  His future looked dim, but this email was presenting an opportunity to change that.  

What if he was adopted?  I knew that in order for this to happen, a family would have to personally petition the orphanage director to create a file for him and then hope to be matched with him - all very unlikely and extremely difficult.  

Nevertheless, I sent the pictures to Paul.

And we knew.




This was our son, 
and we would fight for him.

We wrote back, asking her to petition the director for his file on our behalf.

"Please tell them to get me his file...His name will be Aaron...this is our son."

I sent several emails to set an adoption process in motion;  then I pushed back my chair, walked into the den, and got on my knees in the exact same spot where I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ not too long ago.  And I pleaded for Aaron.  

"Please Jesus, bring our boy home."  

Then I sat in silence at the Mercy Seat, still on my knees.  I felt a strange assurance; it was as if Aaron was already home.  That night, I fell asleep in prayer while staring at his picture.

"Bring him home, Jesus...
Bring him HOME."



And He did.  

Around 11 am, while I was praying in petition, Aaron's lungs flooded with fluid and collapsed, and he died.  

As I read this news, my heart broke and filled with joy simultaneously.  Whole, complete, and no longer in pain, our son entered the presence of Jesus Christ and was renamed once again by His Maker, while this mother whispered prayers of redemption.    

We FAIL these children over and over again, 
and yet He never does.  






Nothing is lost in Him.  


Not this baby. 
Not the others we have "lost". 


  
They are Home.  



We are the ones who wait, 
and we do it in the certainty of Hope.  




The missionary saw a glimpse of this Hope more clearly than I could have at the time:

"I believe, if only for a few hours, Father allowed that boy to have a Mommy."

Amen.  

That same day, we heard there was a new file for a waiting 2-year-old boy with dwarfism.  We requested the file but I could not bring myself to open it, because the only funeral that would be occurring for Aaron was currently underway in my heart.


I opened Haven's file instead, 
and read her story for the thousandth time.



I thought of my beautiful girl
waiting for 6 years.



  

I thought about what I would give for the chance 
to have lifted her out of that crib years ago,





to have traded the years of waiting 
for a waiting family.





Just like Moses and Miriam.






I thought about what I would give 
to have brought her home when she was two, 

which was the year that all the hope 
seemed to disappear from her pictures...





Mercy.


 I realized that I would trade anything for 
a chance to rewrite her story...





But I am not the Author.


So with trembling hearts, 
we opened his file, 




And Mercy was granted.


Paul and I agreed; 
the yes had been written on our hearts long ago, 

and this story about a boy and a girl 
was strangely familiar...




This past Monday, 
we were officially "matched" to our son.

And so it is with great pride
 that we introduce our legacy,

 Aaron Onesimus Roepnack.


He is two years old 
and he has dwarfism
(and looks great in pink!)

just like his big sister Haven





We chose his name 
because just like Aaron in the Bible,


he will be the brother of Moses and Miriam,




And these children have been 
brought home by way of the desert.




Just like their father, Paul.

Onesimus was the apostle Paul's adopted son, 
who was twice redeemed from slavery.




We pray that Aaron Onesimus will grow up with 
the Word of God on his lips and Christ in his heart;
 because what a story he will have to tell.



One thing is certain...

God's picture of this family
just keeps getting better.




"If we are out of our minds, as some say...



 ...it is for God...
for Christ's love compels us
because we are convinced that One died for all...
that those who live should no longer live for themselves
 but for Him who died for them and was raised again."



SHARE OUR STORY:


A Home for Haven:

Haven's Facebook Group: 

11 comments:

  1. I can read it and see these pictures a thousand times and still tear up. I'm SO excited for you -- and for Moses and Aaron! Those boys need each other. What a force these children can be for the Lord, Missy. Blessings upon blessings on all of you, and lots of love.

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  2. Such an amazing testimony. Our God is so good, and His plans are always so much better than anything we can plan for ourselves.

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  3. Rejoicing over His goodness and His wonderful ways!!! Praying for you all!!!

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  4. As I was reading your blog, God our in my heart that I should make a donation to y'all. So that's what I did. My husband and I are in process of adopting a little boy from Hong Kong, who we have named Samuel. And we are so incredibly blessed, to have been chosen for this journey, and I will definitely keep you and your beautiful family in my prayers.

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  5. Love! Love!!! Love!!!! God is sooooo good!!!!!

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  6. I'm speechless. What a beautiful story God is writing. Love you!

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  7. I am speechless. What a beautiful story God is writing. Love you!

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  8. I can't wait to read more on your journey to your newest addditions!

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  9. Wow....great story of kids, life....and a great love and going Home to be with Jesus. I am excited for you. Plus...we knew Matt at Coral Ridge thru our kids. Love, Rick & Louise Habegger

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  10. Congratulations! So excited for your family!

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  11. You are amazing and a force for good. Your story should be told, it is an inspiration in a fight against prejudice.

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Thank you for your words and support.