The Rest of the Story

If you believe that God has a plan then what I am about to tell you is no surprise. Years ago a teenage girl had a dream that would prepare her for a lifetime. The story of that dream and where it led her is amazing, but she tells it better. The Dream

Fast forward to February 2010……..In a country far away there is a woman. She is pregnant with a baby. Soon she will give birth to a daughter. I don’t know her story, and I don’t know why but she cannot keep this baby. In December of 2010 in America Alisa and Nathan are talking about a teenager’s dream. They are the American definition of the perfect family; a husband, wife, two kids, and a house in the suburbs. It is a crazy conversation. One of those Weird moments when we discuss things that seem impossible, but our heart cries out about them anyway. Where will the money come from? What will people think?

On March 20^th of 2010 Nathan and Alisa put their trust in God and decide to begin the crazy journey of adoption. On March 29, 2010 hundreds of miles away a beautiful baby girl is born. She is perfect in every way, but she does need medical treatment for her feet. Alisa and Nathan spent April praying and talking about where to begin. In May they attended an adoption conference in MN. It was a long trip from their home in TX. Their trip was an amazing journey, but again you should here them tell the story. ( Trip ) The trip made one thing clear to them. They would adopt a baby, and they would seek that baby from China.

This is where all the cards have to fall into place. You see Alisa was not yet 30 when God started stirring her heart. To adopt from China you must be 30 years old. It wasn’t until May of 2011 that Alisa would be old enough to file the paperwork for a child in China. With this knowledge she still felt the unbelievable pull to start the process. Especially since this process takes at least a year and sometimes more. Once everything is in place and both parents are 30 years old you can receive an LID. That is a log in date, where the Chinese authorities begin to review your information. This is only obstacle that was before them. The biggest obstacle was one that many would have looked at and run from. Alisa had had seizures in the past. This is a disqualification in China’s paper work. Impossible, is what many would call it. Give up your dream some would say. Go somewhere else others would urge. Your family is already perfect well meaning friends would extol.

With faith you can move the mountains, and with God nothing is impossible.Matthew 17:20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”Instead of turning and running Alisa and Nathan stood firmly planted in the dream God had given them. There was a little girl waiting they just knew it. She was there in China and she needed them. So they prayed and they fundraised. Nathan ran a marathon, they had a garage sale, they partnered with pillow pets, Alisa started making the coolest hand made products, and so much more. Of course time was passing in both China and America. In December 2010 Alisa and Nathan celebrated Christmas with the knowledge that something was missing. Far away in China there was a little girl who was celebrating her first Christmas without her family. She wasn’t alone because you are never alone in an orphanage, but we all know how hard Christmas can be when you are missing your family. That same Christmas Alisa found an ornament to match the gingerbread family that hangs on their tree. An ornament for a little girl they hadn’t met yet. An ornament that symbolized the love of family, the promise of God, and a future full of joy now hung upon the family tree. I can’t imagine how bittersweet it was to look at the tree with that ornament hanging there.

2011 began with a promise. For Nathan and Alisa the promise was being old enough to adopt a baby from China. For a baby in China it held the promise of a family. Amid crawling, solid foods, hopefully walking, and maybe talking; this baby would also find a home. This year also brought lots of obstacles and heartache to both Nathan and Alisa. In March a little baby in China turned 1 year old, and her family in America prayed for the strength to keep moving forward. They tried for an age waiver in April, but it was declined and so they continued to wait for the magic number thirty. In the meantime they would trust God that their baby was also waiting, and that he would keep her safe during this time of waiting. Finally, Alisa turned 30 and June brought home visits and tons more paperwork. This took up most of the summer, and soon the leaves were changing and fall had come.

Then in October something magical finally happened. Alisa and Nathan were matched with Selah Jie Ya Joy. All of the waiting had paid off. This beautiful girl was going to be there baby. Most of us have babies in hospitals and bring them home a couple of days later. We are experienced in cuddling by the time our child is a few days old. However, some of us have had a baby who couldn’t be held right away. My Hailey spent 4 days in the NICU. I remember the sorrow and the joy that I felt in my heart every time I looked at her. I remember longing to hold her. I remember how hard it was to wait. So I know how Nathan and Alisa felt knowing that they had to wait a little bit longer. In fact October would turn into November, and Christmas would come and go. One more Christmas without Selah, but hopefully the last Christmas without her………………

Alisa and Nathan’s journey hasn’t ended yet; in May they hope to travel to China and bring home little Selah. It breaks their hearts each day they are apart from her. Knowing that she will turn two and blow out candles on a cake without her family is heartbreaking. However, it is all made bearable by the promise of what is yet to come. It is all okay because God has made a way. The Coriells have faith that this will be the last birthday she spends without them, but the journey is not over and they need your help.

Even though I know how amazing God is he still surprises me with his greatness. It's hard for me to comprehend how great he is. How amazing is it that even before she was born God was preparing a place for Selah. He would plant the seed in Alisa's heart. A seed that would grow into a dream and blossom into the family Selah would one day be a part of. Imagine that mother struggling with her choice to not keep Selah. Even as she struggles with the choice God is making a place for Selah. God chose Nathan and Alisa out of everyone on earth. He chose them to be the parents for Selah............

So that my friends is the beginning of the rest of the story.

Now its your turn. You too can be a part of God's amazing plan for Selah, in three wonderful ways.

1. Please pray for my friends. Cover them with your prayers because the power of prayer is the greatest thing you can give them.

2. Share their story. It's very easy to share my blog on facebook. You can copy it into an email too if you like. The more people who know the more prayers and support we can raise, the better.

3. Finally any donation is 100% tax deductable. God is doing something amazing. We can't all save orphans. We can't all save widows, but you can be a part of this. No donation is too small.
Donate Here.

Here is also the link to Alisa's amazing store: Click here