11/15/10
We are so blessed and privileged to be the family adopting these great kids. We have gotten the US approval and now submit docs to Ukraine. Please pray for accelerated timing. We'd like to be able to send documents this week so we could maybe submit in Kiev on Tuesday. It needs to be quick from here on out. We are still holding on to the hope of sharing Christmas all together. A new friend and pilot will probably have to fly us around personally (just kidding) but God can do anything and we can atest to that personally now. What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.
I just love God! He is moving people strategically, like pawns on a chess board, for His Kingdom set up.
Hand raised - "Use us Lord!"
Thank you to all who have supported His adoption and for your prayers.
You are family!
Monday, November 15, 2010
We really need your prayers!
11/2010 Please pray for all the children that need families...that we would all say yes and they would all have permanent homes. Governments all over the world need divine visitations, dreams of God, and hearts bent to please God. We lift up all organizations that help children - to show love and kindness and mercy for all officials. Thank you.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
You ... you are God's Plan
You are God's Plan For The Orphan |
The United Nations reports that the number of orphans around the world waiting for help is more than 140 million.
This global crisis is present even in the United States where over 120,000 children now wait to be adopted from the foster care system.
But God commands every Christian to act and to care for orphans and we would like you to join us this fall as we serve the orphan.
An Update of Good News!
10/19/2010
Another totally amazing couple of weeks in our journey. We have so many amazing people in our lives that have donated recently.
We’re up to like $22,500!
About 8 weeks ago, we were looking at the money being the largest obstacle – and we’re almost there! That is so unreal. When God asks you to do something and you say “yes God”, He truly takes care of every detail.
Thank you to all those who donated great items to our huge garage sale this past weekend. With the help of my amazing friends, we pulled off quite the event. Everyone pitched in some way, directing traffic, carrying out goods bought, bringing bagels and donuts, pricing, selling and letting the community now why we are having the sale. 2 couples who shopped were from Ukraine and one of them from my kids hometown. She cried when she learned of the adoption. Even neighbors were donating more as the day went on. It was like the endless supply of items to sell. God provided us with $500 more than we needed to convert our garage to their new bedroom. He is so faithful and true!
Jane from Fathers Care couldn’t hold it in anymore and told the kids we were filing all the necessary paperwork to adopt them! They were like “Yes!” and had HUGE smiles on their faces. We cant wait! Please pray that the USCIS/ NBC assigns us a Christian who will take our paperwork and process asap. We are so close, all we need is that to accelerate. Thanks for reading and I will try to not go this long without blogging something!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Half a World Away
Half a world away
Sometimes it seems we're so far apart
But a half a world away
Is not too far for a journey of the heart
Sometimes it seems we're so far apart
But a half a world away
Is not too far for a journey of the heart
Our little ones, our precious joys
We're waiting for you
Our precious girl, our young son's
We know you're waiting too
Half a world away
Children wait for a family of their own
While a half a world away
A family waits to come bring them home
Our little one's, our precious joys
We're whispering a prayer
Our precious girl, our young boys
We hope to soon be there
Half a world away
So many miles to bring you home at last
And half a world away
So many months of waiting are past.
Our little girl, our precious joys
You'll finally be home to stay
Our precious girl, our young son's
We'll celebrate this day...
Knowing we will no longer be
half a world away.
We think of Igor, Denys and Kristina
every moment of every day ...
Sunday, October 10, 2010
They are always in our thoughts ...
May you be safe and sleep soundly through the night
May you be safe as you wake to the morning's light
May you feel our love from so far away,
May it comfort and protect you throughout each day.
We will pray for you my little one,
Until our time of waiting is done.
We will pray that the Lord keep you safe from harm,
Until the child of our hearts becomes the child in our arms.
May you be safe as you wake to the morning's light
May you feel our love from so far away,
May it comfort and protect you throughout each day.
We will pray for you my little one,
Until our time of waiting is done.
We will pray that the Lord keep you safe from harm,
Until the child of our hearts becomes the child in our arms.
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