December 2008 - Idea of Adoption Conceived in both Reid and Myself mainly through the adoption focus our church was having at the time
January - March 2009 - Reid and I both began praying about adoption: asking God for His leading and timing
April 2009 - Clearly Understanding from God that we were to WAIT because He would bring the children (Yes, plural!)
July 18, 2009 - We meet two special boys, Omar and Lamar, through Water Angels and realize these are the children God planned to bring into our lives. Omar and Lamar begin spending weekends with our family.
December 2009 - God began stirring strongly in our hearts to pull us toward adoption again
January 26, 2010 - In Perspectives Class, Reid and I both knew the time was NOW as we listened to the speaker talk about how we are to "make every day count" because our time on earth is so short. Reid leaned toward me at the same time I leaned toward him and we committed to mail our application within three days! God confirmed in us it was for "such a time as this."
January 29, 2010 - Adoption Application Approved
March 10, 2010 - Home Study Application Mailed, First Installment Wired to Adoption Agency
March 22, 2010 - Added the "donate" button to the blog. Making the step to ask people to consider helping. Hoping for it, but not expecting it.
March 26, 2010 - O'Leary / Beebe Yard Sale Fundraiser - Day ONE. Physician paperwork filled out for me and appt. scheduled for Reid.
March 27, 2010 - O'Leary / Beebe Yard Sale Fundraiser - Day TWO - Total raised $1300 for our family, and $1300 for the O'Leary family! Yeah!
March 29, 2010 - Adoption Education books arrive
March 30, 2010 - Began reading Adoption Education books
March 31, 2010 - First Homestudy Interview scheduled for next Tuesday
April 5, 2010 - Read four books with the boys about adoption. Asked them to write about "adoption" as a home school assignment.
April 6, 2010 - First home study interview with Reid and myself.
April 7, 2010 - Fingerprinted! First set DONE!
April 15, 2010 - HOPE IN THE DARK African Adoption Fundraiser in Knoxville, TN. Mike and Beth Hamilton and Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman were the keynote speakers/entertainment. The Ungandan Children's choir also captivated the crowd. Amazing night!
April 16, 2010 - Second Homestudy Interview Scheduled for April 26th! Half of online education completed! Dropped off t-shrit design idea with Joyanna at Heaven's Presents hoping to have some shirts to sell as a fundraiser for our adoption! Let us know if you are interested!
April 25, 2010 - Received invitation to attend Pioneers Africa night in High Point, NC at our previous church, CBC. YES, We will be there! Listened to my brother-in-law's plea for support in his upcoming 100 mile bike race. Did you know $1.00 will give a person in Africa clean water for a year? Even one penny a mile will provide water for one person! YES, Adam, we will support you! We are proud of you for "Starting NOW!" All funds will support Blood Water Mission. Excited you are "biking with purpose!" (Adam raised over $5,000+ for this ministry through this bike race! WOW!)
April 26, 2010 - Second homestudy Interview at the house with the boys. Cleaned the house all day! T-shirt design being finalized. Second Yard Sale scheduled for May 15th.
April 28, 2010 - T-Shirt design approved and now FOR SALE. God continues to provide in amazing ways! What a priviledge to see HIM work. Thank you to everyone who has helped us so far to bring our baby(ies?) home. Right now, 193 people have helped! That's incredible!
May 8, 2010 - Meet Robin Sizemore in High Point. She is the Director of Hopscotch Adoptions who is overseeing our adoption from Ghana.
May 15, 2010 - Yard Sale #2 hosted by Drais and Paige VonHagen. Friends worked this sale for us to the point of exhaustion. For the story click here. This sale was an enormous success and we are deeply indebted to our incredible friends who "gave themselves away" to make this happen! Amazing!
May 22, 2010 - First donation received by the "donate" button on the blog. Several also coming in the mail! God is providing! Currently, 338 people have pitched in to assist in some way with this adoption! Can you believe it?
May 25, 2010 - Paperwork finally consolidated and mailed to agency for home study to be completed. Copies of bank statements, home owners, auto and life insurance policies, birth certificates, medical statements, Kelly blue book values on the cars, monthly budget, etc... all mailed priority mail. Homestudy is one HUGE step closer to completion. Praising God that Kristie O'Leary is helping me with the dossier. Whew! The paperwork is unimaginable, but this is FINALLY DONE!
May 27, 2010 - My birthday. The initial e-mail arrives to ask us if we would consider a 2 1/2 year old boy.
June 2, 2010 - Rough Draft of Home Study Received. Finalizing details for completion!
June 9, 2010 - Picture arrives of this child and he is wearing the SAME SHIRT that Mason had as a little boy! The EXACT SAME SHIRT! No kidding! Realize the signifigance of his birthday. His birthday is a day of great significance. It redeems a day of great loss. His medical reports leave us with much to consider. Reid is in Knoxville and I am at the beach with our boys.
July 15, 2010 - Meet with our amazing doctor and ask his opinion of the medical reports from Ghana.
June 20, 2010 - Father's Day. After wrestling with God about meeting this child's great needs, the Lord speaks to my heart. He tells me that this is the child for our family and HE will supply the needs through Reid and me. Reid is still undecided.
June 24, 2010 - Final Home Study Received. FINALLY, FINALLY! Began applying for financial help through grants.
June 27 - July 2, 2010 - Family Mission Trip to Club 180 in Cumberland, KY. Our team ate a special meal of rice and beans to remember children in Africa without food. The proceeds from the dinner will help Sydney with her ministry to orphans.
July 6, 2010 - Meet KC in Cleveland, TN with Kristie O'Leary. Hear stories about Ghana and special pictures of children and the foster home. Facing the reality of the circumstances wells up a sense of urgency! Still remaining silent about some things until Reid and I are unified. Keep praying, friends.
July 7, 2010 - Mail the I-600A application to TX. Receive an amazing gift from our nephews who sold lemonade and produce out of their garden to help with our adoption. SO, SO touching! These four boys have incredibly generous hearts. Thank you Tate boys!
July 15, 2010 - Reid says, "Let's adopt D. Let's choose D! Let's choose him the way God has chosen us." We are completely unified in moving forward.
July 16, 2010 - Officially accept the referral of D. Wire referral fee and foster/medical fees. We're officailly pregnant and know we're having a BOY!
July 19, 2010 - Meet with someone who pursued adoption, but the doors closed in the middle of the process. Amidst her broken heart, she still wants to do all she can to help orphans and those pursuing adoption. What an encouraging heart!
July 20, 2010 - Women at Water Angels pray for our child in Ghana - for God's provision of all of his needs - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Powerful time of prayer! I arrive home to find an envelope filled with money from a 9 year old and 6 year old to help bring our baby home! Precious!
July 29, 2010 - Receive notice that our I-600Aapplication has been received. Set up for Yard Sale #3. Mason and Franklin both wake up having shared the same dream the night before - each dreamed that he met D!!! Isn't God amazing?
July 30, 2010 - Receive notice from Immigration that our fingerprinting appointment is in three weeks. Nashville, here we come! Day One - raise $500 in Yard Sale. Still need $1000 for Dossier to be submitted to Ghana. The Lord will provide! After typing this, the Lord did provide the needed $1000 within 90 minutes! Seriously! His timing is perfect to bring this child home! Miraculous and amazing!
August 20, 2010 - Travel as a family to Nashville for I-600A fingerprinting appointment at 8:00 am. After the brief 20 minute appointment, we head to the post office and apply for passports for our boys. Reid's sister, Margaret, informs us that she and Andy were fingerprinted in South Carolina for their adoption the same day!
August 25, 2010 - Receive word from Ghana that Overcomer is in the hospital fighting malaria and severe anemia. We are praying for him. My heart hurts wondering, who is with him? Can we help him come home any faster?
August 26, 2010 - Receive word late Thursday night that Overcomer is back at the foster home, but still very weak. He has received a blood transfusion to help him regain his strength. We hear that our homeless friends downtown were gathered to pray for him, S, H, and all of the orphans in Africa.
August 27, 2010 - Our I-171H arrives in the mail. We were praying for God the expedite the process for our sick little boy, and His mighty hand moved!
August 28, 2010 - Our precious friends leave for Ghana to meet their children for the first time. Part of our heart goes with them.
August 31, 2010- The O'Learys send photos of Overcomer from Ghana. They are holding him and giving him the gifts we sent. His face looks so sad, and we hurt not being with him. God provides a precious gift of generosity through someone who desires to help provide for Overcomer's care while in Africa. Thank you for your provision, Lord.
September 3, 2010 - The O'Learys send photos of Overcomer smiling. They said he even laughed! Yes, he did! When Reid read the e-mail to me, I cried. Overcomer even said, "I love my mommy. I love my daddy." Last three documents requested for our dossier are mailed to Hopscotch. My day was spent running to the doctor, the bank, the notary, the post office, etc...
September 4, 2010 - Today I helped my sis, Wendy, with their adoption yard sale. God blessed them with funds for their own adoption! Yeah! It was incredible to be helping someone else on their journey. Waiting at home in our mailbox was a check from Reid's sister and her husband to help us on our journey! Isn't that amazing? I'm in awe of everyone reaching out to help! Person after person. Today we reached number 500! 500 testimonies of God's love to help bring Overcomer home. Number 500 - Henry Greene - is very significant! He traveled with us to Ghana on our mission trip, he is Ansley's brother, and he and Overcomer share the same birthday! Can you believe it? We are astounded by the Lord's faithfulness!
September 8, 2010 - We all Skype with Overcomer. It's 5:45 am here, and 10:45 am in Ghana. Hearing his voice was music to a mother's ears!
September 10, 2010 - According to our adoption agency, Overcomer's dossier has left the Fed Ex HQ and is headed to Ghana! Yippee! Reid, the four boys and myself all receive immunizations at the Knoxville Travel Clinic. Bill? $865.00! The Lord provided a sweet, generous gift to help offset this cost!
September 11, 2010 - Brainstorm for more fundraising ideas. Pray, think, plan - trust! This evening, our family went to the O'Learys and watched some videos from Ghana. Several were of Overcomer, and honestly, I fought some tears. It was difficult to see him and not be with him. He did not look well to me, but I rest in the word God has given me for him - Overcomer. News of Overcomer's recent illness was worse than I knew. The O'Learys' ministry while in country made me remember why I love the Ghanaian people. They are such giving, beautiful men and women. Sydney stewarded the gifts she's been given very well. Many lives were touched.
September 13, 2010 - Receive word that Overcomer is being moved to a different foster home where he can receive more personalized care. Receive word our dossier arrived in to Ghana! Shout it out! Yee-Haw!
September 17, 2010 - Host first Amazing Out of Africa Day Camp with Mathiang. Our hearts beat passionately for this continent!
September 24, 2010 - Retreive four passports out of the mailbox for four boys anxious to go to Ghana to meet their baby brother!
September 26, 2010 - Mason plays guitar on the worship team for the first time. His heart is stirring to help youth go on mission trips to Africa. We are challenged at Life Group and called up to examine sacrificial living. God provides teh mattress for Godwin's toddler bed. We bring his bed home. Sydney surprises us with magnets that spell out Godwin.
September 27, 2010 - Do the Malarone Groan! Pick up our malaria medication, and groan over the $50 co-pay per person. Ugh! $300 for our family. Receive word that the fee for the I-600 is going up in cost. Thankful for God's provision and trusting he will continue to do so. Send out Blankets for the Homeless Round-Up Information. Boys are asked to play for a Fall Carnival in Georgia at the end of October. Still placing things on the calendar knowing God will work it out if we are in Africa.
October 1, 2010 - Receive word from our agency that our court date, "Lord willing," will be this month. Beginning to prepare for travel! Can't wait to hold him!
October 11, 2010 - Receive e-mail from our agency that our adoption court hearing will be held in Accra, Ghana on Friday! Eeek! Prepare crazily for travel!
October 12, 2010 - Realize the only way to obtain our visas in time will be to fly through Washington DC and pick them up ourselves. Oh my, Lord, please make this happen!
October 13, 2010 - 4:20 am - Ted Ancelet picks us up and takes us to the airport. We fly out for DC at 6:00 am with an 11:00 pm airline ticket to Ghana. Reid takes the metro and picks up our travel visas from the visa agency at 4:00 pm! Praise God for this miracle! At 11:00 pm, we are lifting off the runway to meet our little one in Ghana! Yippee!
October 14, 2020 - Arrive in Ghana. Meet Overcomer and FALL IMMEDIATELY IN LOVE WITH HIM!
October 15, 2010 - Receive our full adoption decree in court with permission to take Overcomer out of the region. He is finally officially our son! Overcomer Beebe!
October 16, 2010 - Visit two children's homes in Ghana. Meet many precious, beautiful children who would love to be adopted into a family. Child after child weaves their way into our hearts.
October 17, 2010 - Worship with Godwin's family at his new church plant in Ghana. The service was from 7:00 am - 10:30 am on a rooftop! It was a powerful worship experience! Realize Overcomer is becoming more secure and confident as he begins calling us, "Mommy and Daddy!" Overcomer's personality exhibits characteristics from each of our four boys. He was meant to be a Beebe.
October 20, 2010 - After a few days of adventure, we prepare to travel home. Saying "Goodbye" to Overcomer was extremely difficult. We pray God's protection and favor over him until we are able to go back and bring him home.
November 20, 2010 - Waiting...
December 20, 2010 - Still Waiting...
December 23, 2010 - I-600 Approved! Waiting for word to travel and bring Overcomer HOME! A few more things must be completed before the visa can be granted.
December 25, 2010 - Holding onto Overcomer's Christmas gifts until he comes home. My mother decides to leave her Christmas tree up until Overcomer is here. He will be the best gift of Christmas. (Because we have a live tree, we know this is not an option for us.) Prayed for him Christmas morning. Prayed for all of the children waiting for families too.
January 18, 2011 - Andy and Margaret (Reid's sister) leave for Ethiopia to be with their new son and appear in court. We are still waiting for word to come to Ghana.
January 20, 2011 - Still Waiting for word to travel.
January 22, 2011 - Consider changing my FB profile picture, but change my mind. The profile picture is the one Franklin painted while we were in Africa on the first trip. It shows our separated family - four boys here, mommy and daddy flying over the ocean, and Overcomer waiting in Ghana. I decide I won't change my profile picture until our family is finally together. Sooooo ready, but still waiting... Trusting God's perfect timing.
February 4, 2011 - Receive word that Overcomer's visa exit interview is scheduled at the Embassy over one week from now.
February 14, 2011 - Overcomer's third birthday. Overcomer's visa exit interview at 7:30 am Ghana time. (We were up at 2:20 am our time praying for God's favor as they were entering the Embassy.) Receive word that his visa was not granted. More documentation and verifications required. Heartbreak knowing more waiting is ahead. Valentine's Day.
February 15, 2011 - Mom decides to leave her Christmas tree up until Overcomer is home. My dady said, "Taking it down now would be like giving up hope and we are not giving up hope!"
February 17, 2011 - Receive word that Overcomer's visa has been granted. It will be ready on March 4th for pick-up! Yeah!
March 19, 2011 - Arrived in K'ville, USA with Overcomer in our arms! What a celebration!! Home as a family at last!
2 months ago
