Day of Fasting and Prayer

Dear fellow Ghana families,

It seems to me that there are many withing our adoption community that
are "stuck" in the current visa process. Families that have been
waiting for visas for months with no end in sight. Some families are
given a reason for the wait; others are just told "We are waiting for
some things to be verified." My heart is so heavy for you if you are in
this position. Tomorrow, Friday, July 16th I am going to pray and fast
for these families. There is strength in numbers. The Bible says,
"Where two or more are gathered together..." If you are a Christian and
feel led to pray for BREAKTHROUGH for these families, please join me!
There are many ways to "do" a fast. Some people fast a certain drink or
type of food. Others do a complete fast, with water only. Some do 24
hour fast, while others may do a 12 hour fast or "daylight hours" fast.
Whatever the Lord leads you to sacrifice during a fast...it is between
you and the Lord.

Tomorrow I will be praying for these things specifically....

1. For the hearts of those at the US Embassy who have been given the
difficult task of protecting adoptive parents and children from corrupt
practices, while at the same time finding balance and not judging
someone guilty until proven innocent. I want to lift them up and pray
for them to be encouraged in their work, but also for their hearts to be
softened where they may be hardened by the corruption they see each day.

2. For the parents who feel as if their child is missing. They see an
empty seat at their tables where their child should already be.
Holidays pass. Birthdays occur. I'll be praying that the Lord give
these families a daily supply of strength to get through to tomorrow.
I'll be praying that these families don't become hardened towards the
embassy (as easy as that would be!). I'll be praying that these
families can somehow find peace during this terrible storm in their lives.

3. For the children who are "stuck" waiting to be united with their
families. I'll be praying that the children have a deep knowledge that
they have NOT been left as orphans and that they will NEVER be abandoned
again. I'll be praying that their hearts are not hardened during the
wait. I pray that they will blossom under the guidance of their current
caregivers, even in a place that may seem as if there is only "rocky
soil." I'll be praying for their resilience.

4. For the birth family members who have sacrificed so much in order
for the children they love to have the permanency of a nuclear family.
I'll be praying that the birth families do not become weary of being
asked to do so much in order for an adoption to go through to
completion. I'll be praying that the money they may lose because of
having to attend appointments at court or embassy, is somehow
replenished to them--because Lord knows they don't have the means to
lose the pay from a day of work/farming! I'll be praying that they
don't become so weary that the find it easier to simply place a child in
an orphanage permanently.

In His Grip of Grace,
Anita
P.S. Obviously, I am speaking as a parent here, not as an agency representative. =-)