Joshua's story part 2

Joshua outside

Joshua smiling :)

In my previous post (Part I of Joshua's story) I shared about how God lead us to adopt our precious boy as well shared what Joshua was like so that people who are so faithfully praying for him could "know" him a little bit.  Since adopting him in 2010, we have been forever changed.  Back then, we thought we were adopting him for his sake-to rescue him, to give him the love of a family, to provide for his medical needs etc.  We are realizing that it was even more so for US. Joshua is a truly a GIFT.

                                                         Joshua's cute little smile!

God has taught us so much about His love for each of us through Joshua. Before we adopted our son Sean, I'd heard a sermon about how selfish "love" usually is--we tend to love people that do things for us and make us happy.  That is not God's kind of love. After we adopted Joshua my husband had the opportunity to share with believers we met in Ukraine about how much we are all like Joshua before God...completely helpless in our humanity and sin, and dependent upon Christ for life and salvation. We are all "disabled"  before God's throne if you think about it. Joshua can't  he "do" anything to help or love us in ways we are used to being loved.  God loves us despite our inability to do anything for him...He loves us despite our sinfulness with an unconditional love. He gives us grace, by offering us forgiveness and salvation that we could never earn...simply by putting our faith in His son Jesus who died for us.

                                              Naomi with Joshua, and Haylee with Lily on the slide



Through Joshua and our other adopted kids, God has shown me just how far I fall short of His love...and how much I need HIM to truly love. There have been times when I'd feel weary. Times when I couldn't settle him down in the middle of the night and I'd feel overwhelmed and doubt. There were times when I haven't been as patient as I should. When I cried out to God and sought His strength and forgiveness.  God uses our challenges to refine us...and to show us we need to rely on HIM to truly love unconditionally like Him and that we can do all things through Christ who strenghens us.

                                        Sean showing concern for his little brother :)

When I look back, I wish so much I'd spent more time holding and just loving on Joshua and not been so busy with daily life with our 9 kids (did I mention we've had water (well)  problems, other health crisis' in our family, laundry machine problems, etc??.. all distracting from just being a mom at times)   Despite all his care needs, Joshua is in many ways the easiest child we have--he is calm and happy most of time, content to look around and sleep.  Aside from being a little picky regarding food (he only likes it if its sweet :)  and at times a challenge to feed, most of the time he has enjoyed feedings. Unlike most kids, he can not really disobey or talk back either! :) He gets so excited over simple things--the wind blowing on his face, the beautiful bright sky, getting a kiss, being held, and hearing his family sing.  Sometimes I wonder...does God let him "see" things we can not?    Joshua brings out the good in people who meet him as well. Though he has never said a "word" (though is very vocal!) he shows us love in his own way every day. God gives him great peace and joy that blesses each of us.

                                                       Aidan helping feed Joshua
Joshua's hospitalization has shown me very clearly how fiercely we love this special boy...God has given us such a deep love for him that I never expected when we met him that first day in Ukraine. I thank God that He gave us the faith to bring Him home.  I would give anything to hear his loud squeal, to see his silly grin and giggle, to look into his beautiful blue eyes. I pray that we get those opportunities again. My daughter said the other night through her tears, "people who don't want to bring home severely disabled orphans don't know what they are missing."

                                                            Naomi and Joshua

                                                                  Outside
                                         

This was all very unexpected for us. When we had Joshua seen by a geneticist, we found out he has a rare condition where he is missing part of his 14th chromosome. We were told that he won't live a full life span and can die unexpectedly. He'd also told us not to expect progress, but since we'd seen some changes in him I didn't worry too much about the other things. When Joshua is not feeling well he has trouble with eating but usually in a day or so he gets back in the groove and does well. Before coming into the hospital he started not eating much and had a low fever and some white designs on his tongue (they said it was dehydration)  so we took him in thinking maybe he had a candida issue or virus... that's when they diagnosed his bowel obstruction and at first he was just sleeping away. When the NG tube was inserted (since they stopped feedings by mouth to let the obstruction clear) Joshua had a really hard time..He started producing tons of mucous and breathing issues with his stridor pattern which led to the intubation. He had the flu. And because he's swallowed alot of mucous it upset his stomach and he vomited ...which we think led to the aspiration pneumonia :( and then sepsis (infection in his blood that spreads throughout the body).

                                               In the beginning of his hospital stay

                                                        Sleeping at the hospital

Joshua and Daddy

Joshua is one sick little boy. We have thought that we were losing him a few times now and then he rallies again and his stats improve. He is a little fighter that is for sure. My husband summarized it well when he said that living between HOPE and DESPAIR is a really hard place to be. We cling to God and the truths of His Word... that Joshua is fearfully and wonderfully made (just as he is) , that he was made for a special purpose, that our help comes from Him who is an ever present help in trouble and that our times are ultimately in His hands.  We pray with all our hearts that it would be His will for Joshua to recover fully and continue to bless us and many others. Until then we give Him thanks for Joshua and each improvement he makes.  This is the hardest experience of our lives and we  know we couldn't endure apart from God and all of you...we  feel the prayers of so many people sustaining him and us. I've thought often about how amazing it is that so many people (even in other countries) are praying on behalf of this little boy that once lay in a bare crib in an orphanage. How awesome is our God! THANK YOU each for the prayers, help and encouragement.  My daughter Haylee added these pictures to my post so you can "see" Joshua too.
Love, the Adamson family

                                                                Poor baby :(

                                                      Elsie with Joshua on her 7th birthday
                                         

                                          Haylee being concerned for her brother


 "For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many." (2 Corinthians 1:8a-11)