Prayers and more Prayers!
The Schardts landed safely in the Ukraine
and have spent time with the kids
last night and today ...
Awaiting interview tomorrow.
Calling ALL Prayer Warriors!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
New Names
The children have picked "American" names for when they come to the States. Gabriella, Nicolas, and Marcus. We are supportive and happy they chose this. We are keeping their birth names as their middle name. They all have a beautiful ring to them.
Ukraine here we come
So we finally have our dates to go and get our three! Our 1st appointment is on February 9th with SDA and then off to the courts about a week later. Very exciting.
We skyped the other day for almost an hour, and it was just what we needed. We showed them their new bedrooms which Steve and friends have been working on for some time, and basically just admired them thru a camera. Christmas was initially hard without them but with the wise words of a faithful friend, “The Lord is building your house”, I was able to let go and enjoy our last holiday with our precious 3 and family. When I looked at it that way I was like, “take all the time you need God”. Christmas was great and Steve’s parents and sister and brother in law joined us. It was really nice. I feel like although initially having reservations, both sides of our families are a lot more understanding and supportive. God’s timing is so perfect. Steve will be back home with the kids mid March.
I believe we’ll spend the rest of our school year and summer just teaching them English and phonics. Reading, writing and bonding as a family. I look peacefully forward to a beautiful union and closeness in our now large family. Wow - large family is right! A lovely friend got us the book Large Family by Kim Brennaman, and I am enjoying pouring thru it. I feel like some of my friendships have strengthened and been taken to another level. No more surface talk or bubble living. I am forever grateful and thankful for the community we have. It’s a really large family from a “Kingdom” perspective.
Prayer request: End of January, the government could vote for the 2nd time on halting all adoptions until an “agreement” is in place between countries. This could be devastating for all orphans! Stuck with hopelessness! Please pray as the Spirit of God moves you. That they would not get to vote, or they would stand up and vote NO! Mercy and grace upon that land.
I will keep you posted, more often than this last post…
Love and Peace to you all
Caroline
We skyped the other day for almost an hour, and it was just what we needed. We showed them their new bedrooms which Steve and friends have been working on for some time, and basically just admired them thru a camera. Christmas was initially hard without them but with the wise words of a faithful friend, “The Lord is building your house”, I was able to let go and enjoy our last holiday with our precious 3 and family. When I looked at it that way I was like, “take all the time you need God”. Christmas was great and Steve’s parents and sister and brother in law joined us. It was really nice. I feel like although initially having reservations, both sides of our families are a lot more understanding and supportive. God’s timing is so perfect. Steve will be back home with the kids mid March.
I believe we’ll spend the rest of our school year and summer just teaching them English and phonics. Reading, writing and bonding as a family. I look peacefully forward to a beautiful union and closeness in our now large family. Wow - large family is right! A lovely friend got us the book Large Family by Kim Brennaman, and I am enjoying pouring thru it. I feel like some of my friendships have strengthened and been taken to another level. No more surface talk or bubble living. I am forever grateful and thankful for the community we have. It’s a really large family from a “Kingdom” perspective.
Prayer request: End of January, the government could vote for the 2nd time on halting all adoptions until an “agreement” is in place between countries. This could be devastating for all orphans! Stuck with hopelessness! Please pray as the Spirit of God moves you. That they would not get to vote, or they would stand up and vote NO! Mercy and grace upon that land.
I will keep you posted, more often than this last post…
Love and Peace to you all
Caroline
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Our time has come . . .
It's been some time since I've blogged. ( Steve) We have been pushing forward with the room for the kids, getting everything ready for there arrival. I will be painting the room this weekend and the carpet goes in end of next week. Should have everything ready by Xmas. This will be a special xmas for our family, being it will be the last in which it will be us five. I believe that Kristina, Igor and Denys are going thru some similar feelings, knowing if that it will be the last with there friends as well. the waiting time has not been fun but necessary. Caroline felt bad when she heard that Igor had his tonsils removed, she wishes she could have been his mother during that recovery time.
We were invited to share our story with the production company "Many but one" who puts on an xmas performance every year for the community. They were responsible for creating the video for us. If you haven't seen this one please view, it moves me every time. I can't wait to the day when were all on the plane landing in Miami. Caroline has been nesting at the house, if your a mother or a father of a child you know what I'm talking about. Anyway, having fun trying to keep up with her thoughts and projects. All good !
During this journey, for myself, I have been able to fuse together more with my wife. I always want to be with her. I look at each day slightly different, I wake up before the sun, I enjoy all my work, I love this life we have been blessed with by our Lord, and I thank You for leaving your Spirit to guide us.
I will have much to talk about when the journey takes us to their home town. I will try to blog daily so you whom are ready can walk with us and see how God has orchestrated this uniting of these three with us.
I already feel it in my spirit that God is going to use us to bring joy to all we meet.
I am also already saddened for the ones we will get to know but will not be able to bring with us. How do you look into their eyes and leave them hope ? How do you continue on with your life when those ones left behind are locked into soul ? How is it that not everyone with these same feelings is not saying yes we can do this? How is it that you do not love the Holy one enough, to take care of one of His own. What will you say when your in eternity with Jesus and you had the opportunity to do this, (while he promised he would take care of you ) and you reflected upon yourself and your own giftings rather then on His graces and mercies.
How will you walk with Him in the Garden ?
I was watching an older movie the other nite, " Contact " with Jody Foster. The beginning scene was a shot in space starting from the sun and traveling backward past all the planets in our solar system and it just kept moving revealing tens of thousands of galaxies and stars. I thought, this must be one of the mysteries or privileges that God is going to allow is lovers to see and perhaps travel thru, who's to say . . . Getting in to heaven is just the start or elementary. Many of us say we Love God and or Jesus, but how many of us are in Love with our Lord, savior, king, friend and brother ? This journey is moving at an accelerated stream directly to his heart. There is no other anything or substitute. We do this because we love you...( Jesus)
We were invited to share our story with the production company "Many but one" who puts on an xmas performance every year for the community. They were responsible for creating the video for us. If you haven't seen this one please view, it moves me every time. I can't wait to the day when were all on the plane landing in Miami. Caroline has been nesting at the house, if your a mother or a father of a child you know what I'm talking about. Anyway, having fun trying to keep up with her thoughts and projects. All good !
During this journey, for myself, I have been able to fuse together more with my wife. I always want to be with her. I look at each day slightly different, I wake up before the sun, I enjoy all my work, I love this life we have been blessed with by our Lord, and I thank You for leaving your Spirit to guide us.
I will have much to talk about when the journey takes us to their home town. I will try to blog daily so you whom are ready can walk with us and see how God has orchestrated this uniting of these three with us.
I already feel it in my spirit that God is going to use us to bring joy to all we meet.
I am also already saddened for the ones we will get to know but will not be able to bring with us. How do you look into their eyes and leave them hope ? How do you continue on with your life when those ones left behind are locked into soul ? How is it that not everyone with these same feelings is not saying yes we can do this? How is it that you do not love the Holy one enough, to take care of one of His own. What will you say when your in eternity with Jesus and you had the opportunity to do this, (while he promised he would take care of you ) and you reflected upon yourself and your own giftings rather then on His graces and mercies.
How will you walk with Him in the Garden ?
I was watching an older movie the other nite, " Contact " with Jody Foster. The beginning scene was a shot in space starting from the sun and traveling backward past all the planets in our solar system and it just kept moving revealing tens of thousands of galaxies and stars. I thought, this must be one of the mysteries or privileges that God is going to allow is lovers to see and perhaps travel thru, who's to say . . . Getting in to heaven is just the start or elementary. Many of us say we Love God and or Jesus, but how many of us are in Love with our Lord, savior, king, friend and brother ? This journey is moving at an accelerated stream directly to his heart. There is no other anything or substitute. We do this because we love you...( Jesus)
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Tuesday's Big Day
11/28/10 Happy Thanksgiving to all! We shared our thanks this year with Steve's family. We were all at his parents home in Tampa. All of his siblings were there except for his brother Greg who lives in Texas. Our kids played great with their cousins who they unfortunetly only see about once a year. I cant wait till our new children can experience all the "larger" family activities. We watched some you tube videos on Ukraine orphanages, and after wiping many tears, my thoughts were we are so blessed to be able to adopt! We are all excited and cant wait till they come home! So Tuesday is the big day of submitting paperwork. Our friend and translator, Galya, will be hand delivering the documents to the SDA and they will within 1 - 1 1/2 weeks give us an interview date and then a court date. We will be traveling very soon. Please pray with us that it will be supernaturally speedy and smooth. The more I read, the more "stickly" and complicated it can seem over there. Every i needs to be dotted and every t crossed just right. I was reminded today at home fellowship, that it those who have gone before us and paved the way, that enables us to reap what they have sown. So THANK YOU to all those pioneers! We are ever so grateful. Still we hope that you will agree with us in prayer that our paperwork will go miracoulsly quick. The time away will be the hardest obstacle so far. Its not Ukraine in the winter that is longsome, or the many trips to government offices that dont run the way America does; but it's the time away from our home, from eachother, our work and animals that will be tricky to manage. But it's for the prize we run after. The eternal glory. Its the treasures storing up where we cant see them.
Room update: The construction of their bedrooms is coming along great. Steve works every night on it and we are about 2 weeks from finished. It looks really good. I cant wait to paint and decorate it.
Room update: The construction of their bedrooms is coming along great. Steve works every night on it and we are about 2 weeks from finished. It looks really good. I cant wait to paint and decorate it.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Paper Trail
11/23/10 PAPER TRAIL BEGINS: 1st packet of Apostilled docs get to Ukraine on Monday past. Everything checked out and good. Second package; a bit troubling. Gathered the last 5-7 things needed, had them notarized, thanks to someone special, and off to fed ex lunch time on Friday. Monday comes and check tracking info. Bad news, no info. Call CAT of Cincinnati – they help customers track and are the liaisons between corporate and us. Our envelope is on a truck somewhere? Not quite. Turns out our packet was never picked up on Friday. She sends a driver over to check the box and I walk over to the Fed Ex box across the street too. Just as Heidi and I were praying, the fed ex guy pulls up. He opens the box and there is our packet. Yay! Except now we are a day late. So the packet is on the way scheduled to arrive Tuesday at Tallahassee by 10:30. I track again – and no packet! Meanwhile I have been in contact with and awesome lady at the Secretary of State and shared our dilemma. Time is running out quickly. If our papers aren’t in Ukraine by thus Friday they can’t be translated and turned into the adoption department there. They need to be submitted on Tuesday, November 30th or we’re basically dead in the water. (If you are a prayer, please please pray for this!) Back to the facts. Finally after much help from CAT and another local fed ex guy from Broward, the packet is in my new friend’s hands in Tallahassee. She is so unbelievably kind that she gets my stuff done in 5 minutes and we send for another fed ex pick up. It’s now on its way back to Boca. Tomorrow at 10:30 my dear and trusted friend will transfer to a DHL envelope and mail 48 hours express to Kiev. Friday Jane will receive and get to another new, but old friend, to get translated. Then into the city on Tuesday. And God will bless His people with Peace!!! And we will dance in a river!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Listening
1 John 2:5, "If anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him." (NIV) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27 (NIV)
My morning devotion was perfect: I sat on the couch looking out the window, wondering what the future held. Some opportunities were on the horizon. My excitement, mixed with the fear of getting over-committed, ignited a rapid firing of thoughts: What would I say yes or no to? What was God calling me to do? How would I figure out His plans and purpose for my schedule?
Wondering and worrying wasn't getting me anywhere, so I decided to start praying. I wrote questions in a notebook: "Lord, what should I say yes to? Where do You want me to spend my time? Will You please show me Your plans for me this coming year?"
I wanted a sneak peek into God's calendar so I could adjust mine. Instead, I sensed Him telling me not to worry about tomorrow but to live each day in the hear and now.
My morning devotion was perfect: I sat on the couch looking out the window, wondering what the future held. Some opportunities were on the horizon. My excitement, mixed with the fear of getting over-committed, ignited a rapid firing of thoughts: What would I say yes or no to? What was God calling me to do? How would I figure out His plans and purpose for my schedule?
Wondering and worrying wasn't getting me anywhere, so I decided to start praying. I wrote questions in a notebook: "Lord, what should I say yes to? Where do You want me to spend my time? Will You please show me Your plans for me this coming year?"
I wanted a sneak peek into God's calendar so I could adjust mine. Instead, I sensed Him telling me not to worry about tomorrow but to live each day in the hear and now.
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