Finding Levi

December 9th I saw my son for the first time on an agency photo listing. It's that moment one can not explain except to another adoptive parent,who has experienced firsthand how God just whispers in your ear, "That's your child." And the love you feel is almost instant. I had been feeling for the past year the Lord was calling us to adopt again. He had made 2 things clear to me. One, the child would be a toddler boy. Two, his name would be Levi. I knew that name came from the Lord because I just had never really considered that name. But when I looked it's meaning up it meant "joined in harmony." I thought, that's cool. God is reassuring us this child will join our family and fit right in. We had worried about the timing in that our youngest son had only been home 2 years. It was like God was saying, "Its OK. I've got this." So in November 2011, I started researching agencies for another Taiwan adoption. Doors kept closing and I just didn't understand why. My last attempt was with AGCI. They reassured me I could adopt from Taiwan through them, but we had to wait until their program opened back up. They also asked if we had considered China. I said no. We wanted Taiwan because that was where Samuel was from. I decided I would fill out their Pre application so I could keep an eye on their photo listing. The way I saw it, we were looking for a toddler boy from Taiwan, so if I stayed on top of their photo list I would see all the toddler boys from Taiwan listed. So on December 9th, I logged in to see if there were any Taiwan kiddos. The first face I saw was Long Hai's. I knew he was ours. I saw he was from China, but felt peace about that. I saw he had a cleft lip and palate and thought, we can handle that. I requested his file that day. After reading his medical I thought, "Lord, I obviously heard you wrong. This little guy has a severe heart condition. We can not handle that." I put his file aside. But Long Hai never left my mind, or heart. On January 25th, after thinking about Long Hai everyday, I went back to the site to see if he was still available. There was a new picture of him. I contacted the agency and asked if they had new medical information on him as well. They said no, but that he was staying at NDFH in Beijing. I instantly googled that and found the NDFH blog. And would you believe the first name I clicked on, Anton, was Long Hai. Again, God was whispering, "He is yours." I contacted NDFH to get some information but was told they were not able to give out medical information, but that I could request info from the orphanage through our agency. So I did just that, but was told not to get my hopes up in that the orphanages do not always get back to you and if they do it can be weeks. The next day, 2/1/12, I awoke to an email that my request was answered and that they had never seen a request answered so fast. Another open door. On 2/2/12, I decide to join a Chinese heart yahoo group so I could ask if anyone had heard of this heart condition and how serious it was. About an hour later a girl emailed me saying her family was adopting a little girl with almost the exact heart condition. She went on to share how serious and life threatening this condition is. I thanked her for her honesty but said we can't do this. It is too serious. But as I was writing the words I was heart broken. In my heart I knew. I knew he was ours. On 2/3/12 I woke up with a strong sense to email this young girl Long Hai's picture. I was not sure why I felt this way, but I learned long ago not to ignore this feeling. So, I got out of bed and went down to the computer, uploaded his photo, and emailed it. It was not 30 minutes later she responded saying she had lived with Long Hai all last summer. How sweet he was and that the little girl her parents were adopting was from this foster home too and she and Long Hai were best friends. I broke at that point. God had gotten through. Long Hai was ours. God knows all of Long Hai's needs. He knows every hair on his head. He has watched and protected his dear life from the moment of conception. He knows our family. He knows what we can handle and what we can't. I had been praying for clear direction. God had been giving it. I had been scared saying, "I can't." God was saying, "You can." I instantly emailed my husband  Long Hai's photo asking him to pray for this little boy. Not necessarily to adopt but just to pray for him.  Within minutes Mark responded back, "What do we have to do?" Ok, that was not what I was expecting either. Doors just kept opening and everything was falling into place. On 3/6/12, we called the agency and said we wanted to adopt Long Hai. We filled out the application and things started moving.....until they realized Samuel and Long Hai were only 3 months apart. On 2/7/12 we were denied. The lady I had been working with felt awful and said they should have noticed this with the pre application, but had somehow missed it. The issue was we had adopted Samuel 2 years ago from Taiwan and he is only 3 months older than Long Hai. They said it was not good to "artificially twin" children. We reassured them that this was not our intent and due to birth dates Samuel would be in Kindergarten a full year ahead of Long Hai. She said maybe we could write a letter to the head social worker and plead our case. We wrote the letter and emailed it out that night. We heard nothing on the 8th. I fasted on the 9th. On the 10th, we were again denied. There were 4 other families that were interested in Long Hai and did not have the "artificial twinning" issue. So they felt it would be best to pursue them. Our hearts were broken. I didn't understand what God was doing. But as I prayed I kept hearing, "He's yours," and a peace overflowed me. I began praying that the Lord would chose the right family for Long Hai. The family that would be best for him. The family where he would grow and flourish and learn about Christ's love for him. Where he could get the medical treatment he needed, whether it was our family or someone else's. That the Lords will would be done. On the 2/20/12 I was called and told all the other families dropped out and would we be willing to talk to the head social worker tomorrow! Of course we said yes! On 2/21/12 we were approved to accept Long Hai's referral! God is so awesome! But the story does not end here. On 3/11/12 NDFH emailed me a letter from a lady named Laurie, who had been praying for Long Hai (known to her as Anton) since the beginning of February. Right at the time we were accepting his referral. Here is Laurie's story: "Late December 2011 I was sensing a call to adopt again. We just brought home our 4 yr. old little boy from Ethiopia September 23, his name is Levi Bedilu Hebbe. So to think of starting all over again so soon was kind of odd. I wasn't sure what it would all look like so with my husbands blessing I started gathering information. My husband was not sensing that this is the direction that the Father had in mind for us. At least not just yet... In the first week of February I received a random email from another agency advocating for children with special needs. The children were all at New Day Creations foster home in Beijing  I looked at the children and immediately was drawn to this one little boy... his name Anton. I knew my husband wasn't ready..and wasn't sure but I shared his picture with him...and told him I was burdened to pray for this beautiful little boy! I knew he would be special to me...but I didn't know how... as much as I would have dropped everything to go get him there were things the Father kept speaking to me that just kept me praying for Anton.....and more so for his forever family...whoever that was! So I kept praying...I have his picture by my computer and our little guy would ask about him! I started to pray for his family..for the family not to be scared to step out in faith to begin the process to bring him home! That they would trust Him to provide everything they would need before, during and after they adopted Anton. During this time my husband and I really talked a lot about adoption...and we still were on different pages....God had not yet melted out hearts with the same vision for our family. On the weekend of 2/18 12 my husband went away over night to really seek the Lord on the direction for our family! On that Friday we both fasted and prayed for direction...and blended heart whatever the direction would be! After that weekend we only heard God say "not right now...wait"... That next week things changed. In my heart I kept looking at Anton and asking "Father why wouldn't someone adopt him" He had been at the Foster home for over 2 yrs.... Then the Father spoke to me...my prayers changed to prayers for the enemy to be bound! That the enemy would not be able to interfere with the family that was out there wanting to adopt him! I prayed for the supernatural power of our Mighty God to break any strongholds holding up this adoption! I continued to pray. Faithfully knowing that our Father hears our prayers and He is good in all things! On 3/9/2012 in a casual conversation my husband and were discussing adoption...wondering what the costs for adoption in China were compared to Ethiopia..... it was that question directed me back to the website with Anton's picture! I don't know if I can write or explain the feelings of love and joy and esteem for my Father that I felt when I looked at Anton's picture that day! I first saw the asterisk by his name and then the name change! Oh the name change! He was matched with a family and he has a new name! Levi!! The same as our little guy, and as I would later find out, for the same reasons! Joined in harmony! I had to contact the agency to share my joy and tell them the way God worked in this! it was then that I was connected with the director and Levi's mom! I am humbled and honored at the same time to be used and allowed to be a part of the journey of this special little boy! I am brought to tears as I think of how the Fathers love for the orphan has shaped my heart and likened it to His! I can honestly say that knowing and hearing God speak right to your heart is the most amazing thing I have experienced in my relationship with Him! I look forward to watching this journey continue...and to seeing God's hand continue to guide this special family that He created!"

I have no doubt that God used Laurie's and our prayers to break down the closed door. Prayer is powerful. God used a women's prayers, that I do not even know, to help advocate for our son. To bring him home to his forever family. We do not know the plans God has in store for Long Hai but we know God does and they must be big! Oh, and on a side note Long Hai is pronounced just how it is written and sounds very similar to Levi! God gave me this little ones name before I even saw his picture! Our God is faithful, and Awesome!

Jeremiah 29:11-13 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."