Sara: A princess of Africa

I don't even know where to begin this post...I should be finishing my taxes right now but my heart is so overwhelmed by Gods work in my beautiful friends lives lately that I have to write it all out. All around me I see Him working in my friends lives, reaching out, creating miracles, speaking through others to them, etc...His love is everywhere.

One of my friends that has been on the most amazing journey with Him is Sara. You should know her by now, I just went on a trip to Africa with her. To tell you a bit more, she is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. From day one of our friendship, I learned she is determined and compassionate. These two qualities of hers have helped develop her into where she is today. She has such an amazing husband named Shane who is the most beautiful balance for her and keeps her grounded. Their two beautiful children Forrest and August have this crazy quality of melting peoples hearts immediately and helping them maintain a child like heart.

When Sara told me that her and Shane were adopting from Africa, I knew it was the beginning of something huge for them. When they told me that they were adopting three children from Africa, I knew that they could handle it and these kids would be so very blessed to be apart of the Downing family. When they told me they wanted me to partake in this journey with them and document this special time in their lives, I knew this was the beginning of something huge in my own life..and that's a whole other story on its own.

I have watched God redirect Sara and Shanes journey radically in the last two weeks and if I began to tell you what that looked like, you might not even believe me.

A lyric that Sara and Shane have been coming back to through out this whole process of adoption has been one from John Mark McMillans song Love You Swore...

"Harbor me in the eye of the storm
I'm holding onto the love You swore"

Even that lyric changed and molded to their journey of highs and lows the last couple of weeks and it was amazing to see how it stayed very much present...it remained a source of wisdom, hope and comfort through all the change.

Sara wrote a BEAUTIFUL blog post yesterday walking us through the scripture that God led them on from the beginning of the adoption process to the present. It has been so cool to see how she dived into a newer territory of her bible and got to know Moses mainly through Exodus and how their lives have been parallel to one another. I can't even describe how awesome it is to see Gods promise for Sara and Shanes desire through scripture...and although it was extremely overwhelming and scary at times...He never failed. It has personally opened my heart and stirred up a passion for Him that I never dreamed of.

Sooooo.... from wanting to adopt one child, to three, to getting to Africa and learning it wouldn't be the best situation to adopt the three siblings and should just try for the one. To seeing hope in starting an orphanage and adoption agency of their own and bringing that dream to the table and getting rejected, to God working in someone else's hearts and dreams to deliver His ultimate good promise to Sara and Shane that they would be changing nations and they will someday soon have their own adoption agency like they have dreamed.

I know that all sounds rather overwhelming and crazy and it kind of is in a way... but in more ways it's not. I know that God doesn't put desires in our hearts that He wont deliver for us. Yes, Sara and Shane felt like God had something HUGE in store for them regarding adoption and they believed that meant to not only adopt one child but a sibling set of 3. Learning that wasn't the big thing He had in store for them was hard and letting go of that was hard, but He did deliver and guide them to the bigger thing He had in store which is not only adopting one child like they originally set out to do, but starting their own babies home and adoption agency. And you know what? They will change the world of adoption in Africa...I have NO doubt about that! God has literally called them to save a nation and they will!

Saras blog post is called "a roundabout way through the wilderness". And while they knew this journey would not be one of a straight and narrow easy path...they expected God to move a mountain to get them where they needed to be. To bring them straight to their desired destination...the one that they had been planning. But God took them on the back roads as He did the Israelites to the Red Sea. He knew it wouldn't be an easy path and that's what made it SO much better! So through the roundabout trail of wilderness God worked within Sara and Shane in so many beautiful ways that shaped them to where they are today and their relationship with God became that much stronger. And then...He didn't move a mountain, He parted the Red Sea and safely walked them through to the destination He had in mind for them all along....the something bigger...which is the adoption agency they will have in the future.

I looked up "Sara" on google before I began this post. I knew it meant princess....which fits Sara perfectly ;) ...but I laughed at the first thing that popped up on google...it said "Sara is a type of people in Central Africa". WHAT?! God has been working in Saras life before she was even born to bring her to where she is now! She has been divinely called to Africa and the change her family is going to make is indescribable. She is a true princess of Africa.

I feel blessed and honored to know the Downings. To know Sara and to be able to be apart of this adventure with them. I know God is working in my life through theirs as well and that is a beautiful thing to see. I know the dreams Sara and Shane have and the amazing things they are going to make happen are things that I will get to be apart of and make a difference. It gets me so excited to know that my one day family will get to be apart of it as well. I have learned it all comes down to family...and that's what keeps Gods promise going for generations.

Thank you Sara for being you and for never giving up on Gods promise! I am so happy and excited for you guys!

Saras blog // Embarking on Today: life between two worlds