Under One Roof

I love this story. And I have told it so many times in recent days that I decided I need to blog about it.

The story is about our good friends, the Palmer family. The story began over 3 years ago, when as a family, they committed to adopt a little boy called Sterling, from an orphanage in Uganda. They encountered one problem after another, miscommunications, mistakes by officials, red tape, politics, you name it. Michelle spent several weeks in Uganda trying to bring her little boy home. She came home empty handed, promising Sterling that he was no longer an orphan, and that she would return to bring him home to his family. She returned to Uganda months later, again, hoping to bring her little African boy home. Again, she had to return home without him.

For three years they have been trying to bring Sterling home to his forever family. The short version is this: The Palmers are finally Sterling's legal guardians, but they are now required to be his foster parents for three more years until they can legally adopt him. However, despite multiple efforts, they have been unable to get a visa for him to come to the United States. They were told to let him go, there was nothing else that could be done.

I love their persistance though...... The Palmers decided that if Sterling can't come to them, they are going to Sterling!! They are selling their belongings, renting out their house, and raising money to go to live in Uganda for three years until his adoption can be complete. Talk about love and determination!

We had the Palmer kids over for a big sleepover a couple of weeks ago, and I had a chance to talk to them about moving to Africa. As expected, they are a little nervous about what is to come. But they all unanimously agree. The best part of moving to Africa is that they are getting a new brother.
That was the short and simple version. If you want to read the tearjerker version, visit their blog at oneroofafrica.blogspot.com . Perhaps you may feel led to help them get there, or follow along their journey through prayers and support....as they get their family....finally.....under one roof.
P.S. This is the Christmas card Michelle sent me three years ago. The caption was something like "Hold the ones you love".