Josh and I have very exciting news- we have been matched with a young man named Jackie! Jackie is 10 years old and a country boy at heart. He loves fishing, rock collecting, and being out of doors- sounds a lot like Josh, huh?
We had the opportunity to meet Jackie for the first time last weekend, and he has captured our hearts completely! Jackie has a wonderfully generous heart, and is so smart too! This weekend, Jackie will be coming to Meadowlark Farms for an overnight visit. We do not know when Jackie will make the full transition to staying with us, but this weekend will be used to help gauge that transition. Josh and I are very eager to have our son here with us, but we want the absolute best for Jackie, and we are trusting in the Lord's guidance and timing.
Currently, Jackie lives at a boy's ranch, where they have lots of animals and lots of opportunities to be outside. Additionally, the staff at the ranch are wonderful and they are quite attached to Jackie. Jackie is in the 4th grade, and attends a public school. When Jackie comes to live with us, he will be attending New Diana school district. Through the transition, Jackie will be leaving the most consistent environment that he has had since entering foster care. As such, please pray with us for Jackie and for these upcoming transitions in his life. We know the transitions can be very difficult - how many of us could handle being shuffled from place to place for years, to finally find a place and people that you care about and that care for you, and then have to leave all that and be told that this next set of people you are with are your forever family? As an adult, I have learned to cope with change, but I cannot imagine how difficult it will be for Jackie to have his entire life changed again. In a world where adults' words have little to no meaning, how is he to trust that Josh and I are committed to him for the rest of our lives? We only know that God is a God of redemption, so Josh and I are resting in that knowledge, trusting Him to work mightily in the lives of His children.
Here are a few pictures from our visit:
