Wednesday, April 6, 2011

for sonya and alissa

i spent the morning working side by side with laura on a photo book for our dear friend ellen.

close to a year ago, ellen and steve welcomed twins, sonya and alissa, into their home as foster children. it became very obvious, very quickly that they would pursue adopting these girls and the year that followed was an unending roller-coaster of prayer and pain and advocating on behalf of these beautiful twins. the past few weeks have brought about heartbreaking news. the caseworker will recommend that these girls, steve and ellen's girls, will be taken down to Arizona to live with their great aunt and uncle on an Indian reservation. now, there are details upon details about this situation and the anger and frustration that wells up because of it. there are two sides, for sure, but all i can see is the side of two tiny 6 year olds who have been given a family, a mommy and a papa and 3 handsome, protective brothers. and that side is hurting and broken and that side can't understand why.

me either.

and working on this album of their past year together was such beautiful, heart wrenching work. there are birthday cakes made by their aunt, brothers carrying laughing, wet girls on the beach, stockings on Christmas morning, there are vacations and cousins and grandmas and grandpas and one thing is for sure.

they became a family this past year.

i told laura this morning as we were both tearing up while we looked through and selected pictures that forever captured priceless memories, "i've held and rocked and cuddled and protected ian for fewer months than ellen has held and rocked and cuddled and protected sonya and alissa. birthing him didn't make me his mom. those things did."

there is still time my friends. time for a miracle. time for the case worker to change her mind. time for the 60 year old aunt and uncle to change their minds. heck, the judge could even rule against the case workers recommendation. our God is not small. He is not confined by rules, or laws, or the icwa act. i believe that if it is God's will for these girls to be in the Goad home, it will happen. i want God to be glorified, i want people to come to know Him through this, and i desperately want what is best for these two beautiful, spunky, vibrant girls. and it's cool to know that He wants that too.

i do know that seeds have been planted in these two young hearts this year. seeds of hope and faith and strength and courage and love. and God will take those seeds and water them and protect them and as these girls grow, these seeds will grow too. may the Love of God sustain sonya and alissa no matter where this life takes them. may they follow Him and may He use their faith to move many mountains in this world.

will you pray with us? pray for this family. pray for God to move mountains for these precious girls.

Photobucket


6 comments :

Suzanne said...

Refusing to give into a broken heart yet and joining you in prayer.

Sarah said...

Wow, what a beautiful family they have. Praying hard!!!

Kayla said...

Wow. I can't imagine their pain. I will be lifting this whole situation up to the Lord for His will to be done.

Melissa said...

I probably should pray that the Lord's will be done. But instead, I'm going to pray they get to keep the girls. How's that?
Heart-breaking.
MP

Anonymous said...

I see their happy smiles and am heartbroken that they will now be torn from this home & people that love them and who they've gotten used to being with. I think of them at their tender age & it upsets me that they may have to uproot themselves to go live with "strangers". I really hope the judge makes the right decision and let's Ellen & her family keep these two little girls.

Courtney said...

i've been praying...keep us updated!!