The One who Gave You Life

 I wrote this post below a few weeks before we went to China to bring Eli home in 2013. I never published it because it was so so deep in my heart and the emotions I felt for what was about to come were overcoming me!  I can look back now and thank the Lord that Eli's birth mother chose to give him life. She had to make a very difficult choice for whatever the reason maybe, we pray for her, honor her and think of her often.  Today on National Birth Mother's Day we pray she knows Eli is loved and the he loves Jesus!

  "A child born to another woman calls me mom. The depth of the tragedy and the magnitude of the privilege are not lost on me." - Jody Landers

As AJ and I are getting ready to travel, you can imagine how many thoughts have been running through our minds.  Me personally have been thinking of every detail possible for packing and getting ready, but there is a much deeper line of thinking going on in my head lately.

Although a person can read a thousand books on adoption, emotions of the process, strategies for handling such and helping your child, NOTHING can fully prepare you for the influx of thoughts that come racing in when you know your only a few moments away for looking into the eyes of your child.  Eyes that you did not create, eyes that look nothing like your eyes, eyes that his birth mama looked into first.

I think about her a lot and what she must have went through deciding to give Eli a different life than the one she could offer.  I think of the pain, the grief and the wonder she had in the unknown of what she decided for Eli's life-a sacrifice I have never known. In a very short time, AJ and I will be taking Eli back to the United States and out of China; his country which is the very last connection he has to his birth parents.  I have to deal with that a bit and the Lord has helped me through the idea that I am taking him from the very last thread connecting him to his start in life.

I pray often for his birth parents and pray that somehow they know in their hearts that their son is loved, cherished and adored. I pray they know he will be safe in our arms,  fed,  will be warm and protected. Knowing they may never find out any of these things is a hard to come to terms with, especially once we need to answer these questions for Eli. There is not a day goes by that I don't think of his China Mommy and hope she knows that Eli's new life with his Mommy and Daddy here is a good one, filled with joy, laughter and the love of the Lord.

Eli will know about his China Mommy and Daddy, celebrate them, talk about them, cry about them. We will always include them in whatever we celebrate and honor them in the way they need to be honored and in a way Eli feels comfortable embracing them in his life. After all, his China Mommy and China Daddy made us a Mom and Dad- Eli's mom and dad.

And for that we are humbled, we are grateful...

God is good, and we are blessed

 For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.

Psalm 139:13-14

Running to China!

We have been soooo busy here in the Pilato house!  Eli is keeping us on our toes and forever chasing after him!  I keep wondering why I don't have a beach body am not in better shape because I NEVER STOP MOVING-this boy is high energy!!!  That just doesn't seem right!!!!!! Oh well, guess it's back to pounding the pavement while pushing him in his 800 lb jogger!  

Speaking of pounding pavement, my brother and his girlfriend will be running a half marathon (God bless them) on behalf of our family.  Their goal is to raise a significant chunk of funds to help with the cost of our second adoption!  We are so honored and touched that they would do something this challenging to help our family!  We have been so blessed by them!  As you know from our last adoption, the costs are astronomical to say the least. We know that with each step the costs increase, but we also know that God is in control.  People sometimes asks how do we afford it or why do we do it if it costs so much?  The answer is so simple: a child needs us, a child has no family, a child has lost everything, a child needs to know Christ, a child needs to know love. After we looked at it that way, we decided to do anything to make adoption happen (many times over).

So once again, we are asking that you consider helping our family grow. We are asking you consider that a child waits and needs to come home. We are asking you to pray and let the Lord lead your giving.  So be led by your hearts, as we are!  

This fundraiser is a run-a-thon of sorts.  You can donate per mile or a flat donation.  We have a sheet, which you can view below. Email us at ajandsuzy@gmail.com with your info and we will add you to the list.  We can then email you a copy of your name and donation on the list.  To donate you can use the Paypal button on the top right of this blog and just indicate that you are donating X amount per mile or making a flat donation. If you choose to donate per mile please do so in increments of $5, $10 or $20.  You can make a flat donation in any amount.  You can also send us a check if you prefer not to use the Paypal button.  Please email us with any questions.

Again, we cannot express enough gratitude for all those who are praying for us and supporting us!  We can't wait to bring our next little one home and help them start to heal.  China here we come!

Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

 Luke 6:38

Because We are Called

Because we are called we let go of what we wanted and followed the plan of the Almighty

Because we are called we entered a world of unknowns

 

Because we are called we spent endless hours working to bring him home

Because we are called we went across oceans for him

Because we are called we are a mommy and daddy of a child that once was held by another mommy and daddy

Because we are called we welcomed a wounded heart

 

Because we are called we go to battle for that heart

Because we are called we love so fiercely

Because we are called we pull in when he pulls away

Because we are called we pour God's love over him

Because we are called we walk the rooms in our home praying peace and sonship

Because we are called Double Happiness was given on Christmas day

Because we are called we open our arms to another child desperate for love

Because we are called we pray fervently for a child waiting 

 

Because we are called we will cross the oceans again

Because we are called we will give all we have for another

 

Because we are called we welcome in a Spirit of Sonship where we cry Abba Father!

Because we are called we will be in China once again, calming fears, giving love and cherishing every moment

Because we are called we are adopting again!

 Please keep us in in prayer as we embark on another amazing journey to welcome our second child into our family. It's a process that is not without tears, love and paperwork.  We hope you keep our little one (whom we do not know yet) in prayer as he/she is out there in need of a mommy and daddy to love them. Another precious family (Elyana's ) are starting the process as well and we are thrilled http://redthreadoflove.wordpress.com/ . Please remain in prayer for them as they begin a new journey! We praise God for His faithfulness and love He has for us all!

God is Good and we are BLESSED!

External religious worship [religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.

James 1:27 amplified

A Family One Year in the Making!

 It has been 365 days since two became three. One year since we felt your skin and looked into your eyes, calmed your fears and began a journey like no other.  If the Lord had told me ahead of time what this year would be like, I would have rejoiced, cried, laughed, hid, danced, praised His name, slept five hundred hours ahead of time and worshiped.  It has definitely been the hardest, but absolute best year we have ever had in our lives!  To see the transformation and binding up of wounds by our heavenly Father of an orphan to become a son was miraculous to say the least. Eli has been delivered in so many ways and in so many areas of his life and so have I.

On Monday December 15th we celebrated 1 year with our fiesty, loving and high energy boy. I can't believe how fast it went and that we are celebrating all that has been accomplished in our home.  The Lord has truly shown Himself faithful in the Pilato household.  Eli went from being such a sad, withdrawn and scared little baby boy to a jubilant, strong-willed (which will be a good character trait when he is older I keep telling myself), constantly running, Jesus-loving boy.  What a thing to rejoice!  The Lord has taken him out of the orphan spirit and placed him in a spirit of sonship-what an amazing fulfillment of scripture. We truly rejoice and take comfort in knowing the Lord works always on our behalf!

Is it always praise and flowers and sparkles and rainbows in our home where we are gushing over our dear son? no NO!  It has been a fight many many many times over-a spiritual fight, but the Lord is mighty to save and that is what we claim for Eli!  Allowing the Lord to work on his heart, mind and body is the greatest gift we can give Eli besides a family!  It has been hard work people!  HARD WORK!  Building trust, forming attachments and destroying fear does not happen immediately or because he is in a happy home!  It's slow, pain-staking, earth shattering and grueling at times. There are days where you think so much progress has been made and  only to find yourself with a melting-down child every five seconds who won't let you out of his sight.  We press on though, we pray though and pray some more though because that's what we've been charged to do as Eli's parents. It's such a privilege to have that responsibility and to raise him, such a joy and privilege!

Thinking back one year ago, it's amazing how much I remember that day! So many details and emotions that will forever be with me.  I remembering anxiously waiting to take the van to airport, waiting to board the flight to Xi'an, sitting on a flight to the middle of China, landing and feeling butterflies, rushing to the van, rushing to the hotel, throwing everything all on the bed trying to find the items we needed for Eli, shaking, rushing to the bank, watching the people ride bikes with baskets full of food everywhere while waiting for the guys and gal to back from exchanging money, listening to Sherry our guide advise us on our kiddos, taking the squishy elevator to our babies, being surprised to see Eli standing right there waiting for me in between Kya and Elyana, shaking some more, listening to Eli try not to cry several times, watching Eli cling to a package of Chinese Oreos, being handed my son for the first time, smelling him for the first time, touching him for the first time, seeing him smile for the first time, feeling my heart be full for the first time, holding Eli after he passed out to sleep in the van, shopping for Eli, taking him to our room, feeding him for the first time, dressing him in jammies and feeding him his bottle as he drifted to sleep.  I didn't sleep a wink that night. I haven't slept much since!!!I love it though and wouldn't trade it for anything!  These memories are just the major things I remember of that day, I would need a whole book to record every single memory of the day we became a family!  It's the most amazing experience and those of you who have adopted know what I am talking about.

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

  

Fast forward one year later, we decided to celebrate the way most tri-state people would during Christmas time:see the tree, go to F.A.O. Schwartz and eat Chinese food in the city.  We live 25 miles outside of NYC so we headed in to introduce Eli to the Big Apple and all it has to offer during Christmas time!  I grew up seeing the tree during Christmas and seeing musicals throughout my childhood and it felt so amazing now taking my own child to do the same and carry on that tradition!  We took pics in front the Rockefeller Christmas tree, watched the ice skaters, oooed over the model train in F.A.O. Schwartz a thousand times, saw the Big Piano, and picked out a toy.  We ended the afternoon with a delicious lunch at Lilli and Loo Chinese restaurant which has a fantastic gluten free menu if any needs to know!!! By the end of the day Eli was completely exhausted and completely on sensory overload! We have been spending this week trying to keep a quiet schedule and get back into our routine to reassure 
 him.

      

 We had a terrific day celebrating the courage, strength, bravery, joy and fiestiness our son has.  He has taught us so much in a mere 365 days and I cannot wait to see what the next year has in store!  What an amazing day and amazing God we serve!

 God is good and we are blessed!

 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

 Philippians 4:4

Dedicated and Delivered

Two weeks ago we had the privilege to dedicate our sweet, precious boy to the Lord in front of our entire congregation.  What was truly special about this day was that it was exactly a year ago to the day that we stood in front of church giving our testimony and announcing we had accepted a referral for a little boy!  God works things like that out so amazingly!

AJ and I spearhead an adoption/orphan ministry in our church, so we were able to promote our agency with a video they sent us and we added our own pictures to highlight our journey and lay seed in the hearts of our church to step out and help those who are helpless. We dressed Eli in one of his traditional Chinese outfits, which fit the day perfectly!  

It was such a sweet time to relish in the favor of the Lord and to promise to raise Eli in Word of God. Our pastor did a phenomenal job incorporating the importance of adoption not just amongst us here on Earth, but the true adoption of us as children to our Abba Father!  He made a beautiful statement saying that in the Bible adoption does not have the connotation that it may have here on Earth.  Adoption in the Bible is the welcoming in of those truly sought after, that it a highly revered action....what a bold statement that is so true! 

 Some people believe orphans or adopted children are/were unwanted, second fiddle to others....HOW UNTRUE!  If anything they are wanted more, fought for more and desired more than anyone could ever understand! What a heart goes through in bringing a child from a hopeless situation into a world of promise is overwhelming in the least!  Adoption is the most beautiful miracle AJ and I have EVER experienced besides the salvation of Jesus Christ.  We are thrilled to give our cherished boy the love, the family and the Good News he deserves!  What a special day to celebrate the miracle of adoption-not only of Eli, but us into the Kingdom of God!  WOW!  TO GOD BE THE GLORY! AMEN!

By the way, the spiritual meaning of the name ELI is delivered....(I'll leave it at that!)

God is GOOD and we are BLESSED!

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

 Romans 8:14-17