We're All Connected

S4TS (the acronym for our little ministry) has taken off beyond my highest expectations. I've had a good 4 or 5 adoptive families e-mail me as well as plenty of Advocates. It's great! Most of the time though, I like to keep my private life erm, private and my ministry life open, since it's part of my ministry. I'm also asked (most of the time anyway) to keep the info I get in confidence, for the privacy of the family. But this was one story I had to share, AND was asked to:

So as many (if not all) of you know, I got a chance to go on a 10-day mission type trip to Ukraine, to see the sites, take some pictures, adopt one special little baby girl that "rocks an extra chromosome" as some of you Adoptive moms say it!

So on this trip, I met one mom (who is actually getting ready to leave for Ukraine AGAIN for ANOTHER adoption!) who was adopting one little boy and had a friend tagging along with her to help her out. Now for those of you who have never been involved with adoption trips, they're an absolute blast. All of us are like one big family. we help each other out, we share meals, we share conversations, heck, we share plane flights! It's great. One night at dinner me and my dad got talking with this mom and her friend. Fantastic People. But little did I know what role they would play a little later on, once I had started a small orphan advocacy and begun the journey God was calling me to.

So y'all remember this little munchkin, Antonio?

Precious beyond belief, I know. He was one of the first kids we here at Speaking for the Silent prayed for. Hence, we were so happy to see him get a family.

But I'm getting off topic. Back to the story. One day as I was doing my schoolwork, I got two rapid-succession e-mail text message alerts. Each was a separate comment on each of S4TS's formats, Facebook and Blogger. First I checked Facebook- it was a comment under Antonio's picture (we have a couple small photo albums on FB), reading "So glad to see our son here!" After I picked my jaw up off the floor I went to blogger to see what the buzz was over there. It was a comment from the friend of the mom I had met over in Ukraine, asking me to e-mail her ASAP so she could tell me something amazing. I instantly reacted. In case it isn't evident, I'm a sucker for inside scoops :D Anyway, I e-mail her. Come to find out that her adventure with Mrs. Birschbach (the adoptive mom) drew her Son and Daughter-in-Law to adopt a certain little boy with Down Syndrome. 

I was awestruck and amazed to find out I had seen part of this little boy's story coming into formation long before Orphan Care was my everything. It truly reminded me how we are all children of God, connected to each other through ha love like no other that holds all the universe together.Their blog is here. They are an awesome young couple, and I just love reading their stuff and following their exciting journey!

And if you thought THIS was exciting news, well, you'll just have to check back again in a couple of days ;)