uganda... in 2 years?

This weekend I went to my parents with the boys while Eman was at the men's retreat.  I left in the morning on Friday and he left later in the day, after work.  Well, apparently he had quite the ordeal getting out of town and actually to the ranch.  Thank goodness he got there in one piece, having driven through a torrential down pour that included lightening.  Oh, and he was riding his motorcycle!  He called me this morning letting me know he was headed home and that he had an amazing time and the Lord really spoke to him.  On Friday, I had suggested to Eman, on a whim, that he seek out a man from our fellowship that has adopted a gazillion children from all over the world with his wife.  So, of course, I was thinking that the Lord had told Eman that we would be adding another child to what we were already doing.  Of course.  And, of course, the Lord told Eman something TOTALLY different.  Of course.  :)  During our conversation tonight, Eman asked me to blog about this just to keep track of what we feel like God is doing in our lives - same reason I have been doing the blog in the first place.  I told him he was more than welcome to blog himself, but he didnt want to.  Maybe it is too girly?  ;)
So, I guess to start at the beginning, we have been tossing the idea around of getting a different vehicle to accommodate our growing family.  Eman's dream is an older Toyota Land Cruiser.  He already had a love for these but drove one while in Uganda last summer and that totally sealed the deal.  On Friday as he was leaving work, he ran into a gal that drives a 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser that was planning to list her rig on craig's list on Friday.  She told Eman that she wasnt in a big hurry to sell it, but that they just didnt need that big of a vehicle any more.  So, Eman told her he was interested but needed to sell his beloved truck first.  This, by the way, is a big deal because Eman LOVES his truck.
Eman is also going to be testing tomorrow for a corporal's position at work - if he got this position, it would mean a lot of changes and sacrifices for our family as a whole.  Right now, Eman works four 10's with Sat-Mon off.  Ideal, right?  If he got this new job, Eman would go back to working in the jail for 12 hour days, rotating shifts.  This would mean 6 weeks of day shift, 6 weeks of night shift.  Blech.  We havent had to deal with night shifts since Jacob was little.  They, obviously, are not fun or easy.  However, if this is God's plan for our lives, then we will make it work - with His help. 
When we were getting ready for Eman to go to Uganda last summer, we were day dreaming/brainstorming why God would want to send him to Africa.  We wondered if He wanted us to end up there and help run an orphanage with the Pastor in Northern Uganda.  Neither of us have any skills whatsoever to offer, but we can love those kids and that is what they need.  Ever since Eman has come back, he has had vivid dreams of Uganda, and EVERYTHING reminds him of it. 
All of these things, plus everything else going on, come together to equal something - we just arent sure what.  Eman feels like he is slowly starting to see puzzle pieces shifting and starting to come together to reveal part of God's plan.  He used the conversation with the man I had suggested he find.  When Eman found this man, he was in the midst of a conversation with another man about how they had gotten to 21 kids.  Eman joined the conversation and told the man about the little boy we are adopting and things that have been going on in our lives lately, as well as his feelings and thoughts for Uganda.  Eman felt like the Lord used this conversation to soften his heart and was telling him this: our little Chinese boy will be our family's "adoption for dummies" course to prepare us for a life in Uganda - a country full of orphans.  Say what?!  Eman feels like the time frame for this happening is 2 years.  (Interestingly enough, this would be within the same time frame the Lord gave another family for when they would be moving to Uganda.  It would also put our boys at 9/10ish and 7/8ish (Jacob and our Chinese boy are six months apart).)  The pastor in Pajule hopes to build a medical clinic and orphanage in his village.  Eman feels like the Lord has a plan for us to help care for these kids.
All of this feels really crazy, but is not at all surprising.  The thoughts and ideas we shared together last summer were so detailed and comfortable!  I know that I am fully capable of coming up with plans on my own, without the Lord's prompting.  But, I also know that the Lord gave me peace about going to Uganda a month or so after Eman came back.  This peace, I thought, was for me to go on my own trip, this August.  Eman was not sure about me going by myself and really wanted to be able to go together.  So, now, who knows what the Lord has planned, but I know that He has been busy growing us both up a lot this year.  It will be interesting to see how this all plays out
I pray that I stay open and excited about following the Lord's plan - no matter where he leads me as an individual as well as us as a family.  Please keep my eyes on YOU, Lord.