Set your alarm...

I'm very happy to report that three children with Down Syndrome have been adopted from Theo and Zhen's old orphanage in Eastern Europe over the past three months. One came home in November, one in December and one just last week!

Here's more good news! Four more children (three with DS) will, God willing, be rescued from there, from a bleak future in the next six weeks or so. Pray for the Burman and Karol families as they make their way across the globe to redeem their precious children.

But, all is not well. Four little children are stuck. Four families are, too. They are in desperate need of prayer support TONIGHT. Tonight - while we sleep - around 2:00 am or later - the judge in their region of an Eastern European country will be deciding whether court dates will be given to two of the families - the Davis family, adopting Kirill and the Hook family, adopting Eva. I learned yesterday that NO CHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME HAS EVER BEEN ADOPTED FROM THIS REGION.

None.

Never.

I'll be setting my alarm for 2 a.m.

You can read the back story, as told by my friend Julia, HERE.

All four of these little ones are in the same region of an Eastern European country (not the same as Aaron's). Four children trapped in a system that won't let them go. Why? Because last year a woman in Tennessee decided to send back the son she had adopted. She put him on a plane, alone, to his country of origin. It was the worst kind of scandal. It made national headlines and all those in the adoption world quaked in fear because it had the potential to topple a house of cards in Eastern Europe. Fortunately for most, the worst did not happen and adoptions continued.

But not for these four families - their adoptions came to a screeching halt. Why? Because their children were in the SAME REGION where that child was returned. The officials there were hurt and angry. It horrified all involved and the judge, in outrage, put a moratorium on adoptions. Closed door. The families have been forced to wait. The children stuck in an unforgiving system. Three of the families did get to go meet their little ones. But they can't bring them home. They have prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed.

And things have moved. Slowly but surely.

And these four families are holding their breath - hoping - gasping - praying that the walls really will come down. Over the coming weeks, the judge, who finally agreed to lift the moratorium, is supposed to be issuing court dates for these families. Oh the joy unspeakable. But they are scared and weary of broken promises. They need us. They have increased their praying. They have committed to fasting and praying until they receive those dates. Will you pray with them? Consider fasting alongside them?