Spring has run screaming and headlong into summer. May was especially busy with high school and college graduations, multiple weddings, several showers, countless open houses, Ken having church obligations 5 nights out of most weeks August through Memorial Day weekend, and thousands of things needed to be done before we go to get our kids. The end of May found us worn out.

And then I started my busy time of year May 26th when my work load nearly doubles.

In the midst of all that’s happening in our lives on the job front, there has been even more change on the adoption front in the last few weeks. There’s so much that I’m not at liberty to talk about. There have been significant changes in our agency, and changes in the embassy that have left us wondering when we’ll be able to travel. It could be that things straighten out and we still travel when we were expecting, but each week, the timeline for our travel looks like it is getting longer. We’re in pretty constant communication with our agency and with other parents right now, as things are changing rapidly.

Truthfully, I have seen more darkness and evil out of this process in the last few weeks than I’ve seen in the year since we started.

God has reminded me of the Scripture that I memorized as a child. I’m so grateful for all of the verses I memorized, for at the right time, God speaks them to my mind:

Ephesians 6:10-18 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

I can’t even talk about exactly what’s going on, but I can ask you: Would you pray?

• Pray that Satan would be bound as he tries to disrupt and corrupt.
• Pray for the safety of our kids — physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
• Pray for those doing the paperwork for adoptions to work quickly and accurately and be blessed beyond measure as they’re doing it.
• Pray for those caring for our children.
• Pray for the safety and sanity of those travelling ahead of us, with us, and including us.
• Pray that God would give us the strength to endure the challenges that lie ahead.

This week and next are critical in our adoption process. Would you pray?