The Beginning

In May 2009 I saw a heart break.

A woman from our church came to David and me to tell us about something that was going on in the life of a member of the Praise Team and a part of my high school girls' small group. Her 17 year old niece was five months pregnant. While talking about this we learned of this woman's second miscarriage. As she told us about her recent loss while someone so close to her was pregnant I saw her heart break. A couple of weeks earlier she had announced to the women's ensemble that she was pregnant. Initially my concern was for her niece, but seeing her heart I knew she was the one God was calling me to help.

Was I hearing God right? Does He really want me to make this offer? I had thought of helping my niece out this way, she is more like a sister to me than niece. Does He really want me to offer this to someone I don't even really know? I NEEDED TO PRAY!

I prayed, read my Bible, and listened. The lessons in church on Sundays were in James. Everything God's word was telling me was reinforcing what I had heard. Faith without works is DEAD.

I talked to David, he thought is was a "Great" idea. I asked him to pray. I talked to my Dr. she thought is was a "Great" idea. We talked to our children and asked them to pray about it. We talked about it again as a family a couple of days later. Their concerns were, will you be safe, can I "vlog" about it? Our daughter is very excited our son is a teenage boy.

The hardest part was making this offer to this woman at church. I asked her to sit down because I had something shocking to ask her. I then brought up the idea of gestational surrogacy. I offered to carry her embryo to term for her. I asked her to talk with her husband and stepson, pray, study... and let me know. She was "Blown Away". That was June 10th-ish. There were concerns; money, costs, legality... They needed to talk. I wanted them to talk. This was not a spur of the moment decision for me it needed to be same for them. Knowledge vs. Emotion. A little more than a month later ,July 17, after talking to their IVF specialist, they decided to move forward.

That is what this blog is about. This is my current act of service. My listening to God, Him directing my actions. Did I truly know what I was getting into, NO. Did I study everything I could find , YES. Do I still wonder if I heard Him right, YES.

My prayers have been very specific, God answer me LOUDLY, I do not want to make a mistake, stop this in its tracks if this is not what you want. YOUR will be done.