Please Pray for our Friends

I have some friends who really need your prayers right now. Justin and I went to college with James and Stephanie. We reconnected through facebook and the blog world when we found out that they were adopting a baby girl from Ethiopia. There adoption experience has been rough, to say the least.

They were first matched with a 6 month old baby girl in September of 2010. They knew this little girl had some medical issues, but didn't know how bad it was. They had the agonizing decision to make as to whether to continue on with the adoption. After much prayer and many tears they decided to not continue with this adoption knowing there was a good chance she may not live long enough for them to bring her home. Baby "D" passed away a couple of weeks later.

They were put back on the top of the waiting list and have been patiently waiting for another referral. They received the referral for a healthy 8 month old baby girl two weeks ago. They were told by their caseworker that she was the chubbiest Ethiopian baby she had ever seen. The medical reports looked great! They were excited and hopeful, as any new parent would be.

Yesterday they received a phone call with unimaginable news. The second baby had gotten sick with flu like symptoms and died. My heart is breaking for this sweet couple! I can't even imagine the heartbreak that they are feeling. Stephanie wrote a little about it here.

I am asking for you to please pray for them. Pray that God would give them a peace that only He can give. Pray that they will feel his presence today and every day as they receive healing from their deep pain.

I read Psalm 13 this morning and thought of my friends.

How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Look on me and answer, LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the LORD’s praise,
for he has been good to me.

I pray that they will continue to trust in the Lord's unfailing love!