Little Morris is officially ours! God has answered our prayers. We hope to have him in our arms soon. Thanks for all your prayers and support in this process. 

Our amazing journey to our China Boy Doll!!!!

My name is Miranda Caldwell and I have been married to my amazing husband Luke for the past 10 years.  We have two beautiful children. Elias who will be 4 in January and Brighten who just turned 2. We desire to love Jesus and love others. We are blessed beyond measure to be loved by such a great Savior and King. Our desire is to draw closer to Him, to love Him more and more so that our light will shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven, Matthew 5:16.

This is our adoption story.....

After our daughter Brighten was born in December 2010 God really began stirring my heart for adoption.  I began to pray.

In November 2011 God spoke very clearly to me through what I now know was a vision from the living God.  

My husband is in a band called Esterlyn and we have the privilege of touring around the world sharing with people the good news of Jesus. Late one night after a show I was waiting for the guys  to pack up. I had gotten both kids tucked in their car seats. Touched by my husbands passion for Jesus and Gods heart for the orphan (that he has the privilege to share about each night) I began praying with a heavy heart. As I was praying an image came to my mind of a Chinese child between the age of 4 and 6 sitting next to me. Our child. From then on I was drawn to Chinese everything. I began noticing Asian people everywhere I went and I now suddenly had an overwhelming love for China.  

Later that tour we were in Astoria, Or at a gift store that was filled with Chinese gifts. We bought a ornament for our son since Christmas was getting close. They wrapped the ornament in a Chinese print bag. I remember thinking I am going to keep this bag so I can remember when God put China on my heart.  

I wasn't sure where to start or what the next steps were for this heavy heart. All I could do was pray and trust that God had a purpose and that he had placed  this in my heart for a reason. God's word began to speak to me on His heart for adoption and how He has adopted us into His family. Not knowing anything about specific adoption agencies I really believe God led us to Lifeline ( An International Christian Adoption Agency). After reading a blog of an adoption story through Lifeline  I was led to the lifeline children's services waiting children's page (a specific orphanage).  Seeing all the waiting children I began to pray for each of them everyday.  I would simply pray that people's hearts would be stirred for these precious children.  

In March 2012 we took our kids to Disneyland and as I was waiting with my sleeping baby. I was waiting for my husband to take our little boy on the zoo train ride. I happened to notice a little Asian boy in a wheelchair. This little boys family clearly loved him so much. I couldn't stop watching him. He reminded me of one of the boy I had seen on the Lifeline site.  My heart was stirred for this sweet boy. I remembered watching the little boys video on the Lifeline site. He who was also in a wheelchair. I couldn't help but think of my little boy Elias, they had a similarity.  From that moment on I just kept praying for this precious little boy.

April came along and I realized that his file would probably be sent back soon since Lifeline had already had it since February 15th.  My heart sank, all I could do was continue to pray. God gave me peace. I asked my husband if he could please pray for this little boy because my heart was so heavy for him. I was 29 and at this point not old enough to adopt from China so I couldn't really understand my burden for this child. We prayed together and Luke prayed Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.

This was the same verse the Lord had already spoke to my heart on behalf of this little boy.
Once again I had a continued peace that God had a plan. 

One day I decided to fast and pray because I really wanted to look at his file, but I wasn't sure if my husband would be open to looking at his file or not and I really didn't think Lifeline would let us since they didn't even know us and I wasn't old enough. After fasting and praying all day God gave me this scripture Psalm 27: 13-14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!".  I then asked my husband if we could look at Danny's file(the name the agency had given him) He said sure (just like that). I emailed a gal at Lifeline that night and prayed that it wouldn't be a problem. The next morning she sent it to me!

After looking at his file to be honest we were a little taken back and overwhelmed, they had no answers for his special needs. It was really exciting however because I personally had prayed that his birthday would be in November. I"m not sure why but it was November 17th!  This is what I held on too. All we could do from that point on was pray.  Lord if he is ours, he is ours.

God was answering our prayers for this boy one by one. So overwhelmed with this stirring in my heart for a 4 year old boy that more than likely has Spina Bifida, I was moved to fast and pray for a week each day until 2:00.  I prayed Lord if this little boy is our son please show us in a real way and make it possible because at this point I would not be 30 until December 24th 2012. With God all things are possible Matthew 19:26. Day 2 of this fast God reminded me of the Chinese bag I had saved. I wanted to write down the date that I had got it. As I looked back at my husbands tour calendar to see where we were on the day we got the bag it was November 17th!!!!! His Birthday!!! This literally took my breath away. Lord if this is our son I pray my husband would see your hand in what You have shown me. At the end of the week of prayer and fasting I told my husband who was on a tour at the time. He knew right away this was from the Lord for a very specific reason. 

At the end of June (I was 29 1/2) we did our application for Lifeline. We were unsure if they would be able to match us with the little boy we had been praying for. We were both confident we were to move forward with the Lifeline China special needs program. The Journey began and we did as much as we could before my birthday with all the paperwork. 
 
We gathered as much info on this little boy as possible and Lifeline said they would see if they could hold his file until my birthday. God gave us the grace and peace we needed each step of the way. We had a doctor look at his file and were becoming very aware of this little boys need.  I just kept praying and told my husband I respected his decision. God's peace filled my heart as I felt overwhelmed. Lord, please show my husband in a real way what is best for our family. I was thinking this would take a few weeks. 20 minutes later my husband called me and said God gave me very real scripture as he was praying on behalf of this little boy today. The scripture that was brought to his mind by God was Psalms 27 9-14 "You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the Lord will take care of me. 
Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!" (the same vs he spoke to me months before)
Luke called me with tears in his eyes with a surety that God had spoken clearly to him through this scripture. It was October- God had been so faithful to speak clearly to our family and to stir our hearts to love those who He loves. That vision from God was becoming a reality!

We are just simple people who serve an extraordinary God. There is nothing special about us. Thanks to all of our friends and family who have been praying for us encouraging us along the way. 

God is real and He really speaks. May we listen to Him for truly our lives our not our own. May He lead each of us to His heart for people. We have one short life to live. 

Miranda 

I was so blessed to get a necklace for my birthday with Morris on one side and China on the back. I remember him always!
Miranda