I had a huge surprise awaiting me when I returned from East Africa . Next to my bathroom sink, I was greeted by the following:
Wow!
To say that this was totally unexpected would be a severe understatement indeed.
Our flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Frankfurt, Germany was a baby train. Many adoptive parents were departing Ethiopia with the new children they had just welcomed into their families. As many of you know, Lisa and I were narrowing the field of agencies to initiate our own Ethiopian adoption. As I saw all the children in the Addis airport, I knew that I was ready for another.
God has changed our target country and timing on a second adoption quite frequently. But we have certainly loved his interruptions.
FIRST SURPRISE
As the necessary waiting period was coming to an end after adopting Faith into our family, we began to fill out the application to begin the adoption of a second abandoned baby girl from China.
Then God changed the plan…
Caleb was conceived as the China paperwork sat on our dining room table.
SECOND SURPRISE
When Caleb was two years old, we researched the field of agencies and requested the application materials to adopt an orphan from Thailand. We took careful steps to not get pregnant.
Then God changed the plan…
Even though we were taking precautions to prevent a pregnancy, God decided that He was above such things. He’s funny that way. We know how these things happen. We just don’t know how it happened.
Hannah was conceived while all the adoption agency forms were again sitting on the dining room table.
At this point, a good friend in Dallas offered up some sound advice for us: "Next time you plan on adopting…just abstain!"
We now look at our darling Hannah and say to ourselves, "We were actually trying to not have this child? What were we thinking?"
THIRD SURPRISE
And now we come to the present.
We had limited the choices to three agencies that facilitate adoption from Ethiopia. We were about to pull the trigger on making a decision and beginning the process.
Then God changed the plan…
We knew this was a possibility but, for the most part, we were again trying to prevent a pregnancy in order for our next child to be an adopted one.
I guess we didn’t learn our lesson, but now eagerly await the next precious child that God has decided to bless our family with.
In these cases, we love how His plans are decidedly different than our own. We chuckle and laugh and then proclaim, "Thank you God for your plans and purposes!"
And…yes…you guessed it, the adoption agency paperwork is all sitting right here by the table.
Your prayers are greatly appreciated.
(Image: Lisa and the gang in Maui, Hawaii, a few weeks ago)
If you wish to leave a comment or prayer for Lisa, please do so here at the blog as she rarely checks her e-mail account. Thanks so much for loving us and interceding for us.
Congratulations!!
Don’t you see that children are God’s best gift? the fruit of the womb his generous legacy? Like a warrior’s fistful of arrows are the children of a vigorous youth.
Oh, how blessed are you parents,
with your quivers full of children! Psalm 127:3-4
We count it an honor to pray for you. May God continue to shower His blessings on your family!
Doug & Shelly
Congratulations! Our 4th and 5th were surprises from God (even after surgery). What a blessing! Can’t imagine our family without them. God’s plan is best!
Lisa,
From one experienced mom to another… four kids are a lot! ;-)Be intentional about taking care of yourself in the midst of it all!! And congratulations!
That last post was from Kathy Groom. I forgot to add my name. (Be careful, or your kids will destroy brain cells.)~tee hee~
Hey! Congratulations on your newest blessing! Love, Susan
Lisa ~ Congratulations !!
What a beautiful family ~~ I enjoy hearing of Pauls work in his daily blog and hearing of your immediate family as well. Pictures are awesome
Sincere blessings to you, Paul and your entire family in your daily lives. ~~
Ciao 😉
Congratulations Paul and Lisa! Wow! What irony! Your passion is missions and orphanages. You WANT to adopt, but God changes the plan! We look forward to meeting another very special Myhill someday! I am sure God knows what He is doing and is going to bring you another precious blessing!
In our prayers,
Sherri and Wayne
Wow! Can’t believe it…isn’t God wonderful with such “surprises”…we love you all!
Congratulations ! to both of you… It’s amazing how God decides to grow a family. We surely have seen the Lord’s handiwork in the building of our multi-cultural family – and I tend to think He is not done yet :0) God Bless. <><
WOW!!! How exciting! God is so good! I bet there is a Neil Diamond song for this????
That is just about the coolest story ever! I love the way our God works. Congratulations to you all.
Congratulations on the baby and God bless you.
Hi Lisa & Paul,
Congratulations. This is so exiciting. I am also pregnant and having a boy in mid-November. Sorry I never called when I was out in CO in Feb. Next time 🙂 Check out our blog when you get a chance…with all your free time. ha-ha
http://www.welovecinnamon.blogspot.com/
Honey, here are some other comments I have received from our friends via e-mail. I love you!
Grats!
– Derek D.
Wow! Congratulations! We are so happy for all of you!!!
– Denise B.
God is so wonderful!
– Susie C.
Congratulations!
– Pastor Jacobo
Paul & Lisa, HOW AWESOME is this! Congrats and maybe you should stop thinking of adopting or you may continuously grow….lol.
Love you guys,
– Cindy H.
Hi, I am in Carrollton this week, with a freind who is in the middle of abopting from China. We read your email together and praise the Lord, though we agree that He does have a sense of humor! We are blessed by what you do.
God bless you,
– Mindy K.
Congrats Bro! Tracey is 14 weeks pregnant too. Be fruitful & multiply!!
– Rob M.
Congratulations! What a blessing! I will pray that Gods gives you patience along with the blessing of children. Eventually the oldest will become teenagers and you will begin thinking about how to get rid of them ……
– Ty
Wow….congratulations! Shanea is due here in a couple months, so I see play dates in our future!
– Nate S.
Congratulations on 4 children!!! We love having 4 children. I sent your e-mail to my neice who is planning on adopting children before having her own. She works with Olive Crest in CA as a foster parent (with her husband) and her job is with Food for the Hungry so she has a heart for the poor as well. We are very excited for you.
God bless,
– Nancy B.
Congratulations.
– Paul Pennington
Congratulations! What an exciting time. We also had plans to adopt before Sophie came along, but only God knows what He has in store. I had to stop myself from thinking that it is somehow more pleasing to Him to adopt than to raise the children He has given us. May He continue to bless your family. It was great to see you when you were in Kiev. So glad that worked out.
Take care,
– Kerri G.
Praise the Lord! How exciting. I think we need to fill out adoption paperwork and leave it on our table and see what happens!
– Brian K.
WOW!!!!!! Congratulations Paul and Lisa. That is the BEST of news~
Blessings,
– Marganne P
Fantastic news!
Congratulations!!!!
– M (Marcello)
Congratulations to you and Lisa as you await your next bundle of blessing from the Lord! Talk about “best laid plans…” I’ll remember you in prayer.
Take care,
– Tempia C
yaaaaaaaaaaaa congrats!!!
– Ted K.
Paul and Lisa – Congratulations. God is good! And hey – only a few more and you soon will be the Myhill soccer team. Genesis 15:5 was meant for Abraham, but I guess you can claim it too 🙂
We pray blessings over you, with lots of wisdom, peace, rest, patience, and a good portion humour.
Our fondest love.
Bernie & Sharon in Switzerland.
Lisa, here’s one from Thomas in India…
We thank God for the way He is tremendously blessing the ministry to Orphans. Congratulations for the good news. The Lord is increasing the Myhill family as well.
-Thomas and Marykutty
I REALLY enjoy reading your blog everyday. Such good insights and stories that open up the world of the orphans to us. Congratulations on the expanding of your family.
Staying tuned,
Wendy
Paul, Thanks for everything you are doing for the children.
Blessings to you, Lisa and the new baby.
Paul and Lisa,
Congratulations!! God is good and always in control! We look forward to hearing more as things progress!
Love, Lamar, Heidi, & Luke
God has amazing ways of surprising us. We too set out to adopt and kept having ‘interuptions.’ But as you said in your ‘special ones’ entry a few days ago, God has already allowed you to adopt many children into your hearts as well as the one into your home. Continue to be blessed with all types of adoptions and children into your family. Thank you for bringing the lives of so many other children into our hearts – keep up the good work.
WOW! That is an amazing testimony of God’s working HIS work in our lives! What a sweet, sweet God we serve. Congrats! Love, Nancy and Brent
Here’s a couple more…
Congrats on the precious little baby that is on the way! What wonderful news!
– Donna
Hey buddy. I’m in Spain on a Mission trip right now passing out bibles to Muslims at a Muslim rest stop. Did you hear we are expecting number 3 on Sept. 4th. It’s a boy. He will be named Joshua. Hope all is well.
In Him,
– Ryan