Tyndale Cyrus

We began the process of adoption (domestically in the USA) in fall of 2014, and had our home study completed in January of 2015.  While our agency at the time tried to set our expectations of a wait of up to or more than 2 years, our youthful and naive selves thought we'd have a baby by 6 months or 12 months at the latest.  We were, after all, following God's call for his church to care for and love the orphan, right (James 1:27)? In the span of the last 2 years, we've been matched with two different birth moms, yet watched both of these matches fall apart for various reasons - one a week before the birth and the other days after the birth.  It's hard to put into words the grief and pain we experienced during these seasons of loss (read more about our journey here:  http://mattpluskait.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-other-side-of-adoption.html ). However, we also know that these times of waiting, disappointment, and grief were not by accident and they were most definitely not a waste. We've learned to cling closely to Proverbs 16:9, "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps."  We've learned that God often displays his steadfastness and faithfulness at times that aren't comfortable to us in order to drive us to a complete dependence and surrender to HIM!  September 9th We received a call regarding a birth mom who was considering adoption for her little boy.  Up to this point, we had said "yes" to every opportunity that had come our way without hesitation.  This situation was different, however.  We were one week from embarking on a month long missions training program in Colorado and were afraid of being distracted during our time there.  Secondly, we were terrified of opening ourselves up to another birth mom, another adoption plan, and fearing that it would go as the past ones had, wondering if we had the strength and perseverance to walk through the ups and downs again. During our month in Colorado, we had lots of time to pray together and consider how we should approach this situation.  In the end, we decided to say yes with trepidation, remembering that, if this situation ended like the others, God was still GOOD, he was still IN CHARGE, and that He still KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING!

November 1st As I (Matt) was getting ready for work, I received a call from Julie, our adoption facilitator, telling us that today is "baby day" and to pack our bags and get to the hospital ASAP as birth mom was in labor.  This came as somewhat of a surprise for us as the due date was November 11th.  Needless to say, we packed up as quickly as possible, drove 5.5 hours to the hospital and walked in to the delivery room to meet........... | Tyndale Cyrus Kaeb |  | Born: November 1, 2016 | | Weight: 5 lbs. 0 oz | First Name: Named after William Tyndale, a 16th century reformer who was the leading cause of the first greek-to-english translation of God's word.  He was ultimately martyred for his unwillingness to give up his translating efforts. Middle Name:  This was the name his birth mom had chosen for him, and we wanted to keep it as part of his name as a way to remind us of her sacrificial love, courage, and bravery while honoring her choice of adoption. Initials Fun Fact: We weren't aware that his initials were "TCK" until after we had chosen his name, but it is fitting as he will be a "Third-Culture-Kid" when we move to Thailand.  The Adoption Paradox  During our training at MTI last month, we spent a lot of time discussing how important it is for missionaries to learn to live life in the middle of uncomfortable paradoxes. Paradox - a statement or proposition that, despite sound reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems self-contradictory.   Oh, how thankful we are for the time we spent thinking about and learning that it is ok to live in paradox! The Joy of Adoption.  It is difficult to come up with the right words to express our thankfulness, joy, and gratitude for God graciously giving us another son.  We had been praying for Tyndale (though not by name) for over 2 years and to see this prayer come answered brought tears of joy and thankfulness to our eyes.  It is a time of rejoicing and cause for celebration! The Grief of Adoption.  Words also can't describe, nor anything prepared us for the gut-wrenching pain and grief that we felt for Tyndale's birth mom as we drove away from that hospital to come home.  In only two days, we had developed a special bond with this amazing and courageous woman.  As we watched her say goodbye to her son with tears streaming down her face, and as we watched her entrust this child that she had carried for 9 months in her womb, had endured the pains of child birth for, it was almost more than our hearts could take.  See, we've found and learned that birth moms who choose adoption for their children are, most typically, making one of the most self-sacrificial and loving choices they can make for their precious little child.  Tyndale's birth mom did not choose adoption because she didn't love him, she didn't choose it because she didn't want the responsibility, she chose it because she loved her son to the extent that she wanted him to be raised by a family and in a home that was most conducive to him thriving in life.  To know that this momma chose us for these reasons brings a great deal of humility and responsibility to us as we raise Tyndale! Joy and grief are both fully present in our hearts, even now.  Rather than pushing one or the other out and forcing ourselves to live in the middle (i.e. surface level), we choose to rejoice with those who rejoice  and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15).  Sometimes, this happens at the same time and within the same circumstances.   How does this affect our move date to Thailand?  The short answer is, "we don't know".  Our adoption finalization court hearing is scheduled for mid-December, and after that we will start the process of getting our visas and plane tickets.  We could see this pushing our move date out to late January or early February, but again, it is going to depend on the logistics of Tyndale's passport and visa.  We will be sure to keep you all updated as we hear more in regards to our timeline as we know.   For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed fro me, when as yet there was none of them. Psalm 139: 13-16