Two steps closer to our little "G"
My heart is so full as I post this. God is so good to bring such a gift into our lives "Lord thank you for calling us."
We received an email January 18th letting us know that our documents were sent to China. On Feb. 19th we received an email that we have a log in date with China (as of Feb. 5th) That means our next step is letter of acceptance or approval not really sure what LOA means.  We will then travel 2 or 3 months after that. Blessed, Blessed, Blessed.
God has given us just what we need every step of the way. It amazes me how He just gives peace freely. His timing has truly been perfect. I see it more and more as I look back over the last year and a half.
I will admit I can not wait to get my hands on our little china boy doll.

Fun ways we have been celebrating our China boy......
July- for the 4th of July Luke bought a Chinese lantern and we lit it just for "G"
On Morris' birthday November 17th we had a party for him. I made fried rice (which we attempted to eat with chopsticks) and a panda bear cake. We celebrated with family as each of us prayed for our sweet boy. He got some cute gifts! We took the kids to build a bear and let them make him a bear with our voices recorded and some hearts.
Christmas- I tried incorporating some Chinese decorations in with the Christmas decor. We made a Chinese advent calendar out of mini Chinese food boxes, Asian paper, and an Asian nativity. His stocking with his name on it was hung up and filled and family put gifts for him under the tree.
I'm learning some Chinese food recipes.
Chinese new year- we where in San Fran which doesn't get better than that. China district need I say more. Chinese lanterns hanging everywhere and beautiful Asians everywhere. My man took me out on a date to the most amazing Asian restaurant. We had so much fun eating and shopping in the china district for Morris.
Our prayer is that God continues to give us more of His heart and that He will continue using our lives in ways we never thought possible. With God all things are possible. Thank you for sharing Your heart with us Lord.
I desire to die to self more and more so that God can be lifted higher and higher.
God makes beautiful things out of the dust. He makes beautiful things out of us.
Open your heart to Gods calling on your life you will be amazed.

We are so excited to send our little Morris a care package! A blanket with his name on it, the bear our family made for him at build a bear for Christmas (when you squeeze it's hand it says, we love you Xin Kuan in our recorded voices), a picture book, pjs that match Elias', a shirt, some toys, a few treats, and of course a toothbrush and toothpaste. God has been so faithful in guiding and directing each step of this journey to our precious son. December 31st we received our I-797 (immigration approval), one step closer. After all of our paperwork is translated it will be ready to send to China! Yay!!!! Thank you so much for all of your prayers, we are beyond blessed.

"He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much."
Luke 16:10

Miranda

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

Nov 17th was Morris' 5th birthday. Although we were not able to be there with him we were able to send money for the nannies to buy him a cake. He seemed so happy to be able to celebrate it with all the other children. It breaks my heart to know there are so many beautiful children that still need someone to say I will love you! God has set the premise. Love as I have loved you. He has loved us when we didn't care. He has loved us when we betrayed Him. He has loved us despite our shortcomings and our sin. God may You burden our hearts to love others with that same love. A love that isn't based on performance. A love that takes sacrifice. A love that is not self serving. Lord give us YOUR Love!  We desperately need more of it each and every day. Happy Birthday little buddy...We want to love you more each day!

Luke

A song I wrote inspired by my sweet little niece who was also adopted from China- God has really stirred our hearts for adoption through what He has done in and through my sister and her husband who now have adopted 3 children from China. The name of our band (Esterlyn) was named after this precious little girl.
Luke





He heals the broken hearted
He binds their wounds
He is Love

He finds those forgotten
Those who have been abused
He is Love

He knows your name

A Father to the fatherless
A Healer of the brokeness You make
Beauty from the ashes

A Helper to the helpless
A Fighter for the hopeless You love 
Those who are alone

He comforts the lonely
He hears their cry
He is Love

He holds the children
Through the night
He is Love

He knows your name

A Father to the fatherless
A Healer of the brokeness You make
Beauty from the ashes

A Helper to the helpless
A Fighter for the hopeless You love 
Those who are alone

Gives us Your heart Lord help us love the unseen
And give us Your eyes Lord help us love those in need

This is a short clip about Gods heart for those in need. I share this often at our shows and it has personally stirred my heart. We have one life to live and then it is over. Lets not waste it just living. Lets live it for others!

Luke

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained.
James 1:27