The Final Countdown ... and an update!

11/10/10
Well, just call me a lame blogger since it’s been quite awhile since I updated our page. So much exciting stuff is happening in God’s adoption process. I’m going to start with our awesome garage sale. Within 3 weeks, we had so many great donations that it filled up our entire 2 car garage and dining room. After sorting through it all, we decided to have a 2 day blow out sale. Thanks to Dianne, Lisa, and Angela who had a vision of how it should be organized and spent nites before the sale rummaging and pricing and hanging the unending supply of clothes. Friday morning rolls around and at 6:30am my great and giving friends show up ready to conquer the day.

We had a great first day of sales, and then Rori and Mel save the day by supplying bagels, coffee and  then subs for lunch. At about 4:00 we wrap up the day and put away what we can for Saturday. In the dark of the next morning, my friends and supporters show up again for round 2. Carol, Sandy, Tanya, Rori, Angela, Lisa, Dino, Steve, Mike, Eric, Jane, Michele, Becky, Christina, Annmarie and many more came to serve all day! If you ever have an event this us the team you should have. Dino was on traffic control and security. He was great. Annmarie showed up right when people started questioning about rare old books - and she was on it! They were unified, selfless and had just ready hearts to serve and minister to all in their paths that day. 2 couples from Ukraine came to shop, and when Rori started to tell them why we were having this sale, they cried. 2 were from my kids home town. They just couldn’t believe it. Almost everyone was shared with and some didn’t buy but donated anyway.

By the latter part of the day, people who were buying stuff, would go home and then return with new stuff to sell. It was calling people from all walks of life to give. Somebody bought a table and then brought a table back to sell, my dining room chairs went and a dining room set came back, a bedroom suite sold and then a bigger set was resold. It was unbelievable. Folks were constantly checking back because there was such anticipation of what would come back in. It was so God! Continually filling up the storehouses!!! One guy’s testimony who bought  furniture, was that he was previously incarcerated, saved in prison, married and working now, declares that it is better to give then receive so he returned with more for us to sell. It was an incredible sale. My friends were so giving of their time that that alone blessed us forever. What an amazing body of believers that we are surrounded with. So at the end of the day, another garage sale fundraiser that was going on the following week to support a local family in great need, showed up with a box truck and neighbors helped load it with what didn’t sell. Great finish to the weekend. The money was counted by 4 primary servants and ….$4,600!!!!!!!!!

We needed $4000 for construction on the garage to convert it to a bedroom, and with the sales of my table, couch, buffet, chairs and the extra $600 we were able to purchase a bigger dining room table and couches to accommodate our larger family. Thank you God and all those who participated in some way.


On Sunday we checked our emails, and Jane and Barbara from the Ark left one. They told the kids! We were like - woah! They were very happy and ask many cute questions about their new life. Does is snow there, do we celebrate Christmas, will they change their names?… We are so looking forward to starting the real adventure of having them home.

So far its been all work. Paperwork, financials, appointments, testing, fingerprinting, more paperwork. But now that it’s a waiting game while USCIS has our file, I can help but look forward to the day they come home. I am thankful that they are in a safe and loving place in Kiev. I couldn’t imagine worrying where they are or what’s happening to them. Please pray for speed in the final processing. Our docs are in the national adoption place here in the US then we will DHL them Ukraine. We need favor and speed on our side right now. We haven’t bought the airline tickets yet but are still hopeful to be there all of  December.

We got to speak at church on Sunday for Orphan Sunday and I cant tell you how blessed I felt. Every time when people speak about orphans and how we can help, I always was wrecked. Just really always had such a heart for them. This year, we got to be up on stage giving our testimony and not in the chairs crying about helping. It was such a gift! We spoke after Tom from 4Kids and Jane and Barbara from Father’s Care. So honored to be there. God is doing so much in the hearts of His adopted children. We are graphed into His family because of what Jesus did for us. As I look back on my life, the not so desirable things, I know it’s to help me relate to Kristina. At the same age she is now, I was “left” by my dad due to divorce. I am able to share now that I realize my identity in Christ, how it felt for me. And Steve will be such a great figure of a loving, caring, and sensitive dad because he knows my sorrows too.

God is so good and He is faithful! He doesn’t leave us where we are but brings us to the fullness of His love and grace in our lives.