Ishy's Home!

We at Mom to Mom Ministries are super-excited these days. Soon (tomorrow!) our new curriculum, Real Mom Life, will launch. We can’t wait!

One of the lessons (#11) in this series is the most personal and deeply emotional I’ve ever taught. It’s on “Hidden Losses of Mom Life,” and focuses on infertility issues and miscarriage—two profoundly affecting experiences of my own mom-life. But there is also a third topic in this lesson that is very dear to my heart: adoption. Though Woody and I have not had the privilege of adopting, we have been walking through it very closely alongside our son Bjorn and his wife, Abby. When we recorded Lesson #11 for Real Mom Life, I was not free to share the whole story. Now I am, so here it is!

Ishy’s home! Two weeks ago Bjorn and Abby and their two older boys (Soren, 12; Nils, 9) made a very long journey to India to bring home their beautiful new little daughter/sister, 15-month-old Ishy (pronounced “ee-shee”). But they had an even longer journey before the journey to India could happen.

Bjorn and Abby have long felt called to international adoption. It’s been more than seven years now since they first began the process. In the first years they were awaiting adoption from another country—which then closed to all adoptions before Bjorn and Abby were ever matched with a child. Deep heartbreak. And now, another year (almost) waiting to bring Ishy home. Many tears were shed over these long years, many epic struggles with God over the whys and the waits. But also, an ever deepening relationship with and reliance on God.

And now those tears have turned to tears of joy! Ishy is a delightful little girl, full of spunk and sparkle and fun. Her gorgeous dark eyes dance with mischief. She is a busy girl on the go. She is also a great playmate for her youngest brother, Lars, who is about 2 ¾. They are, of course, both happy companions (sometimes partners in crime) and fierce rivals. Naturally, whatever toy Ishy has at the moment is absolutely the only toy in the house that Lars could play with. And Ishy has her own agenda. Recently she caught our attention to show us that she had gotten hold of Lars’ two prize possessions—his pacifier and his lovey, a small stuffed hippo with a blanket attached. Ishy actually doesn’t care for pacifiers (she’s a thumb girl) and isn’t much into stuffed animals (yet). But she does love getting ahold of something that Lars prizes. She’s clearly getting into the sibling thing!

So, as all of you moms well know, the journey is really just beginning. Ishy doesn’t know it yet, but she is greatly blessed to have such devoted parents and wonderful older brothers. And they in turn are blessed to have her. God is at work. As He was during the long years of waiting, so He goes before them in the years ahead. We all know that parenting of any kind is full of challenges. Adoption is surely no exception! 

But the constant? The “secret weapon” we continually share at Mom to Mom: prayer. Ishy has been prayed for for many years, as have her brothers and her cousins and her aunts and uncles (your kids have too, I hope). And Ishy will continue to be prayed for all her years to come. 

Welcome to our family, Ishy! We embrace and enfold you with great joy. Your Nana and Farfar feel especially blessed to have 12 (yes, 12!) grandchildren. Please never ever forget how deeply you are loved by all of us. But especially by God.

Remember, all of you readers as well: God loves our children (and grandchildren) even more than we do.