Like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden

Here goes...

2012-02-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

You remember these precious children, right?

I told you they need a family, and there was some joking in the comments section about all we would need to do was build another bedroom and fix the bathroom?

I imagine you also remember this lovely item that I wished to find a new use for?

Well, the two have collided.

We are their family, at least we hope to be, but we need your help.

I am doing a giveaway. for every $10 donation, you will be entered in this Lladro give away.

It has an $830 price tag. I need $2400 for my home study. Do you have any birthdays coming up, need something wonderful to give your mother this Mother's Day?

This would really knock her socks off!

It's February 1st. I will close the giveaway on March 1st.

Please share this.

I will be keeping you posted on our progress!

DONATE BUTTON IS ON THE RIGHT OF THIS PAGE. IT SAYS "DONATE TO HELP BRING THESE KIDS HOME"

A little documentary for your viewing pleasure

2012-01-31T16:52:00.001-08:00

do you think this would be of interest?

2012-01-20T10:56:00.001-08:00

in our former lives, when we only had the million dollar family (one boy & one girl), as opposed to the incredibly blessed, God designed family we have now, we were exceptionally loose with our money. Well, Scott was incredibly indulgent of me and bought me lovely useless things.

So very many things.

Well, now we would rather have more people in our home than more things in our home, so perhaps we could put these things to use in helping with that shift.

I have the above figurine. Just lovely. At the time it was reflective of our family make up. Now we have 6 kids and counting from 3 different countries. Not so reflective anymore. It has been in a box in my attic for over 4 years. It is in mint condition with all packaging and paperwork. It's original value was $830. (Yes, he was very indulgent.)

Do you think people would be interested in a give-away for $10 a donation?

I haven't set it up yet, but I was hoping to gauge interest. I think God is planning something big for our family and He will provide. However, we can also clear out unused things to help pay for all the paperwork.

What do you think?

If you don't like this one, I have more.

Where is their family?

2012-01-05T08:58:00.000-08:00

Meet Vika, Alina, Masha, and Sasha.

Aren't they beautiful?

They have a problem and we need to solve it for them. You see, they don't have a mom and a dad. They haven't had anybody since 2009. Masha turned 17 in the middle of December. There was no one to bake her a cake and sing happy birthday to her. So far, there is no one to shield her from the fact that if someone doesn't come quickly, before she turns 18, she will be escorted to the street and separated from her siblings. The only reason she has any hope now is because she has the 3 younger siblings. This allows her to be adoptable with them, otherwise she would already be beyond the hope of a mom and dad.
She wants to be a travel agent. She told me shyly that she would like a mom and dad. l She has struggled to do well in school, and in spite of missing so very many lessons, she has passed the trade exams.

My fear is that she will try to take care of her siblings herself. Admirable, but so very dangerous. The country they live in is a gateway country for human trafficking. Can't you see it? She is told about a great job opportunity that will allow her to care for her 3 younger siblings. She goes to the job interview and now she's trapped. Beaten and dominated, now she's a slave to the whims of people willing to pay for her.
This is not a worst case scenario. This is happening every day to the children that we, the church, don't help.

Russel Moore says, "ADOPTION IS NOT CHARITY, IT'S WAR."

He is right. We are in a war friends, one that satan thinks he is winning. In the short term it seems he is. He has lulled us into such a coma of self-centeredness that we can't even think about doing something if it doesn't directly benefit ourselves. We don't want to be uncomfortable or inconvenienced. We don't want to do anything that effects our "safety."

I've said this before, if we are Christians, the sheep of His pasture, THE VERY CHILDREN OF GOD, how is safety even a concern? What safer place can we be than in God's family?

We are in a war.
Why does it seem that most of our soldiers are MIA?

I think I got off on a tangent here, but it's one that must be considered.

These children need a home, protection, family.

If it is you, please contact me. We don't have much time. Masha turns 18 in December. You must travel for them before then.

Let's begin.

What does it mean really to be a mom and a dad? (or a friend, or a sister or a brother...

2011-12-30T08:13:00.000-08:00

I have been a sister and a daughter for 41 years. I have been a wife for 18 years. I have been a mom to 6 children ages 15, 13, 13,12,7, and 4, for 12 years.
Wait, what?
Yep, my kids are older than how many years I have been a mom.
I have been a mom through adoption for 12 years. My first child came home at 10 months. The second at 16 months, the third at 3.5, the 4th and 5th came home together at 12 and 10, and the 6th was almost 3. This has put me in a unique position. It is imperative that I learn exactly who my children are and what they need. To recognize that while their birth certificates and bodies say they are one age, emotionally they are much much younger. It is vital to remember that their emotional growth was stunted and that their little hearts and minds often think like a much younger child. I must find out where they really are emotionally and meet them there.
This is no easy task. It is hard to remember that this teen in front of you, who is so handsome and manly, on many levels often thinks just like my 7 year old. Many times my 7 year old is more mature because his intervention began when he was younger. The 13 year old who experienced a flood of hormones with the tremendous nutritional shift that occurred when she arrived, looks like a woman and thinks quite a bit like my 4 year old: Beyond egocentric.
But in the daily living, these facts can get lost and tensions build. We forget that we are responsible for their emotional health. We've pushed aside our children's reality with the platitude that "children are resilient."
You know what? Children are resilient, but they shouldn't have to be. If we are their parents, we are supposed to be their protection. We are to take the brunt of what they must live through.
What exactly do I mean by that?
Just because they have a better life now, doesn't mean that we are supposed to leave them to process through their past alone. So often we leave them carrying that baggage themselves instead of coming along side them and holding those very large bags with them.
This will not be easy.
They protect those bags, for within those bags is their heart.

In order to do this they throw up all kinds of defenses:
hyper-obedience
hyper-disobedience
indifference
resistance
disrespect
discontent
entitlement
disconnection

And in our own desire to believe that everything is going to be alright and "Gee, don't' they look like all the other American kids," we miss it. Because we're right, they do look just like all the other American kids.

We've made it right to where everyone else is. The great divide between parent and child. Who am I kidding, between husband and wife as well.

It boils down to 2 words. Intentional Relationship

So often we aren't intentional with our children (or our spouses.) We don't actively foster our relationships. We are reactive. We don't function in a way that makes sure that we are connected to our people in a healthy way, we merely react to them when what they do affects us negatively. This seems to be the only time we recognize our connections.
This is wrong. We are not being intentional in our relationships with our children. We are leaving them alone to navigate their relationship with us.
What?
We've already established that they are much younger than they appear, with damage, and disappointment, and abandonment, and disease, and poverty all over them and it's up to them to dictate their relationship with us too?
WE ARE THE PARENTS.
It is time for us to get over ourselves and be the people God has called us to be.
Dads, step up and intentionally lead your families. Recognize that YOU are the rudder of the ship called your family. If you aren't doing your job, your ship is running way off course and your family is suffering because of it.
Moms, nurture your relationships with your children and your husband. Recognize that this is the roll we signed up for. We are the soft place for them. We need to meet them where they are and help them through life. We can't be distracted by the hurtful things being said to us. We must see past it and recognize that those are walls protecting the damaged hearts of our loved ones. We can focus on the smaller problem of the disrespect or we can persevere and get to the inner heart of our dear ones. If we can make it to their hearts and connect there, all the other walls will fall, and true relationship will form.
This is up to us, not our children.
Relationally with our spouses, we are equally culpable, but if it has to start somewhere, wives, lets begin.
It is humbling to realize that we have been given the responsibility of someone's heart and so easy to forget.

Look into your hands.
How many hearts do you hold?
How many are slipping through your fingers because you aren't intentional with the relationships you are responsible for?
Have you forgotten the relationship you have with the heavenly Father who so tenderly holds yours?

Do you know where Viktoria's family is? We really need to talk!

2011-11-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, people.
You read my blog.
You have at least thought about adoption.
In your heart you know you are wondering when is the right time.

Well... THE TIME IS NOW!

This is from an email I received today from Olga, an adoption facilitator in Ukraine:

A couple of months ago I e-mailed you the picture of one girl, she is HIV positive. Her name is Viktoria, 2003 d/b. I am e-mailing you this picture again.The thing is that this child is placed currently at the specialized House for Babies with special needs, next September she will be moved to the other orphanage as a child older then 9.
Today I talk to her doctor and she is really concerned about the girl. So far I decided to request you to tell the story about this girl to the Project Hopeful families.
Here is the story of this girl.

This girl, Viktoria by the name, was born in 2003 by the HIV positive mother. By the birth she was diagnosed as HIV positive child of IV clinical stage. From the moment of the birth she took anti HIV virus therapy.
By the moment she has zero HIV virus loading.

Till the age of seven Viktoria lived with the mother and thus she has all skills of everyday life as any home child does.

At the age of seven after the mother’s death Viktoria was placed at the specialized orphanage for children of special needs. No one among close persons of the mother’s community or any one of the relatives expressed the desire to adopt her or take under the custody.

It was hard time for Viktoria. The period of adjusting to the orphanage conditions took a long time. Currently she feels comfortable at the orphanage, psychologically steady and has made a lot of friends among the children of the orphanage and school.

The girl is attending classes of the second grade. Her teachers characterize her as a very diligent, attentive, hard working, and very creative girl.
From what the caregivers told she is a child with a big heart, caring, affectionate.
Victoria is very tactful and polite with the teachers and caregivers and friendly with the children.
She likes to playing outside, watching TV, doing things with her own hands. She can spend hours to embroidering, painting.
This girl is very homey. She really needs a family.
Moving to the other orphanage can be a great stress for her and no doubts it is a risk for her health condition. She really needs a family.
She is available to be adopted internationally.

Hope the girl will find her family and in my turn I promise to do my best to serve and to promote this adoption as quick as it possible.

I know Olga personally. Her heart is for these precious children. If she expresses this kind of concern for a child, it must be serious. I know that Olga will move mountains to make this adoption as rapid and smooth as possible.
Please
Please
Please
If the Holy Spirit is speaking to you right now, don't quench Him. He has the most wonderful plan for you. Don't let fear of finances, of change, of the unknown, keep you from what He would have you do. You DO NOT want to miss out on God's grand adventure.
Contact me, NOW! Lets get this going. She needs you!

The Adoption Manifesto

2011-10-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

The thoughts below have been rattling around in my head keeping me awake at night, so I felt compelled to write them down. Please, I welcome your thoughts on the topic. I certainly don't mean to say that this is every church everywhere, because thankfully, I know it is not true, but it sure is rampant and it shouldn't be.

I am writing this today because I am distressed. It seems that the church has a blind eye when it comes to orphans and adoption. (or many other needs for that matter.) Not only that, but there is a standard response that adoptive parents receive when approaching the church for assistance with adoption expenses.

First expressed by leadership is utter bewilderment, “That’s nice that you want another child, but what does that have to do with the church? Why is it our responsibility to help you just because you would like another child?” Occasionally this is followed with the even more atrocious observance, “You have enough children.”

Second, the rationale, “If we were to help you, we would have to help everybody else who wanted to do the same.”

I don’t know which upsets me more. The fact that there is not just apathy to God’s commission regarding the orphan but an active resistance, an utter refusal to accept the responsibility placed upon us to care for orphans, or the unwillingness to open the floodgates of Heaven to make it happen. How has the church failed to remember that it was only through our adoption by God that we call Him Father?

In order to correctly discuss these issues, we must first establish some truths.

1. All Christians were once orphans in need of a father. We have been adopted into God’s family. Adoption is how we became children of God.

Romans 8:14-16
14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
Romans 8:23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
Galatians 4:5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
Ephesians 1:5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.

2. God has made it very clear that we are to care for the orphan, that in fact he views it as an expression of pure religion.
James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
John McArthur observed that James picks two synonymous adjectives to define the most spotless kind of religious faith- that which is measured by compassionate love. Orphans and widows are an especially needy segment of the church. Since they are usually unable to reciprocate in any way, caring for them clearly demonstrates true, sacrificial, Christian love.
3. Jesus expects action.
James 2:14-16 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

With these truths being set, let us revisit the quotes at the beginning of this letter. (Make no mistake, these are quotes.)

“That’s nice that you want another child, but what does that have to do with the church? Why is it our responsibility to help you just because you would like another child?”

There is an attitude within the church that orphans do not exist. Only potential parents do. When did the church become so egocentric that the only motivation for doing something is because it is something we want? What has happened to obedience, putting others ahead of oneself, of serving? When did it become all about me, me, me? How is it that our church leaders not only advance this way of thinking, but embrace it themselves? Serving others and putting them first is supposed to be paramount to the Christian’s experience. It is how we are supposed to show Christ’s love, isn’t it? However, numerous families, that I know personally, have been told that their desire to increase family size is not anything the church is connected to. (The family didn’t phrase it this way. They said God had called them to adopt a child. It was restated back in a way that disconnected the church from any responsibility to act.) In doing so, the orphan’s need, very existence, has been negated by the ones who should most feel compelled to action. How it must break God’s heart.

“If we helped you, we would have to help everyone else who wanted to do the same.”

I have one thing to say to this, “Good!”
Why wouldn’t the church be eagerly offering this kind of assistance? One family was told this after asking if the church would take a “free-will” offering. They didn’t ask for a grant, a loan, a tithe. They asked that the body be given the opportunity to give of their own free will, and the church leaders not only didn’t want to offer this opportunity, but were horrified at the thought of potentially being put in the position of having to offer it again. Do you understand this? They are saying that they don’t want to help and don’t want anyone else to know of the need lest they decide to do the same and the church would be obligated to help them too!

Instead of seeking and meeting the needs of the lost, the church is actively avoiding the very thought of helping anyone outside of themselves. What has happened to the concept of sacrificial giving?

2 Corinthians 8:2-4
2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. 3 For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord…

It seems that the church has forgotten that everything belongs to God and comes from him. It seems to believe that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and the church has a lock on the corral around them.

Proverbs 3:27
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is within your power to act.

The church didn’t say that their funds were depleted because of all of their sacrificial giving, that there wasn’t a penny left, they said that they couldn’t do it because they would potentially have to help someone else!

Shame.

Here are a few final thoughts. I was an orphan. We were all orphaned. God, in His mercy, adopted us. This came at a tremendous cost. We were condemned, dead in trespasses and sins. The cost of our redemption was the blood of Jesus, His death on the cross. He paid the penalty so we could become joint heirs with Christ, the sons of God.

When God told Jesus what needed to be done for our adoption, where would we be if He had said,” How is it any of my concern that you want more children? Besides, don’t you have enough?”

I NEED ANSWERS

2011-10-09T18:11:00.000-07:00

what do I need to do for a Mom to come?

Do you know where she is?

Is she looking for me?"

Do you know anyone who would like to take a boy like me?

I would really like for a visitor at least, because I am all alone and I have no one.

I thought I would have such convicting words to say following these questions, but all I have is tears.

Do any of you know the answers for this precious boy?

If you do, please share them with me, or better yet, with him.

Isn't it time?

Pearls, anyone?

2011-08-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about orphans lately.
Shocking, I know.
I talk often with people about all aspects of adoption, and cost is something that always comes up.

Always.

So today I'm thinking about orphans and cost.

I will tell you that cost is a widely misunderstood concept; most often because its scope has been minimized to something as inconsequential as dollars and cents.

As in: How much does the typical adoption cost?

In monetary terms, one could say that the average eastern European adoption of an HIV+ child lands right around $24,000 to $27,000.

Is that it?
Is that the cost in its entirety?

I recently heard a TV evangelist caution people considering adoption to "count the cost."
He eluded to mental illness, sexual abuse, and behavioral issues as things to very carefully consider. It was clear that he considered it far to high a price to pay; the underlying message was that in his mind, these children weren't worth the cost.

Here's the thing.
He wasn't wrong to identify those areas as areas that cost something.
They do.
Where he was absolutely wrong was in assuming that the price was too high.

The true answer to what an adoption costs is:

IT COSTS EVERYTHING.

IT COSTS YOUR LIFE.

IT IS WORTH IT.

What we all need to understand is that every person,
every child,
every orphan
is worthy of the cost.

We know this because Jesus paid for our salvation with his life.
How can the redemption of someone else not cost us the same?

He died to redeem us.

In adoption, we live to redeem them.

Matthew 13:45
The kingdom if Heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all he had and bought it.

Matthew 19:14
But Jesus said suffer little children, and forbid them not to come unto me, for such is the kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

Matthew 6:21
Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

When considering the cost of adoption, it's not:
How can I ever pay it?

It's:
How can I not?

A chance to break the cycle

2011-08-17T07:58:00.000-07:00

I have been away from my blog for a little while. There has been so much work to do with my kids, my home, my mission- the children God asks me to champion for. My little blog has suffered but so much has been accomplished in those other areas!

I am not alone in desiring to change the lives of orphans, there are others toiling gladly to do our Father's work. One such fellow laborer is Shane Lewis. He visited Ukraine within days of my return. He poignantly tells just one of the many stories happening right now. In it he reveals a world you could change right now.
Read about it here.
I pray that you would join us in making a difference for Alina. The simple act of helping her will also powerfully impact the lives of her brother as well as her unborn child.

His mercies are new every morning

2011-06-23T12:44:00.000-07:00

I am back from Ukraine and have nearly recovered from my 22 hour layover spent in the London air port. I am full of hope and potential and opportunity and I pray that it is contagious. There are many beautiful children who need families and I believe some of those families are yours.
While I will be writing more about those children in the up coming weeks, I wanted to share a bit with you about Nastia.
As you know, Nastia is the girl we were unable to bring home last year. She is seen in a group picture a couple of posts ago. You know that we love her.
while in Slavyansk, I was invited to visit the social worker responsible for the children in her town. She was still very disgusted with what transpired last year and shared with me that Nastia was still in the national adoption registry and was available for international adoption. She equipped me with some pertinent paperwork and with her blessing, I filed a request at the SDA to verify Nastia's status and ask for permission to immediately file paperwork. Lest you think I took this one in myself, Scott was aware of and approved of me taking these actions. I was told that I would receive word in about a week.
I can't tell you how excited I was to be doing this. This was not the purpose of my trip and just the ability to see her was a blessing. To find out that she was still available for adoption and that we would have the chance to try again was an awesome and unexpected gift, indeed!
I spent the last few days in Kiev meeting with other adoptive families, giving them encouragement and support. I got to spend time with the Houser family, adopting a little girl named Sveta, and I got to have a lunch with a woman named Natalie, who had just received paperwork for a blind referral to meet a little girl who was HIV+. She and her husband had not initially intended to adopt a child with HIV, so our meeting was especially opportune. I also spent Tuesday evening with a large crowd of families just arriving in Kiev as well as preparing to depart with their new children. It was so exciting.
We finally made it home Thursday night, I told my husband more about the paperwork filed for Nastia, and went to sleep dreaming about the good news I would hear the next week.
On Friday, when I finally got around to checking my email, I was excited to open an email from my new friend, Natalie. She had included a photo of her with the little girl who would be her daughter.

IT WAS NASTIA!

I was not expecting that. I had already begun to construct the God story that was happening. How glorious to share with you that we would bring home Nastia a year later. I had faced and understood that God had plans for her, reconciled that I may never know what her future was, but look, God was planning this all along!

God has other, grander, more perfect plans than mine.

He was not planning for me to be her mother, but He did let me have lunch with her mom.

I learned last year that with God, I am all in. I trust Him completely and know he loves me unconditionally. These again were not the plans I would have chosen, but I know that His ways are perfect. She will not grow up in an institution. She will not be transferred to internat when she is eight years old. She will have a mom and a dad who, to quote her new father, "will love her to pieces!" She will grow up learning how much Jesus loves her, because her parents will teach her this. She will have an older brother who is also from Ukraine.

She will know that SHE IS LOVED.

Jeremiah 29:11
'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.

I knew this promise to be true, even when I thought I would never know specifically His plan for her. God, in His mercy, pulled back the veil and let me see a glimpse of this promise to her.

More travel, more children, more opportunity

2011-06-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

After our trip to Slavyansk, we boarded a train for Odessa. This was a 16 hour trip by train. We didn't forget our food in the fridge, so we snacked on juice, cheese, and bread. We have practically existed on mostly cheese and bread but the girls are good sports about it.
Once we arrived in Odessa, Masha's friend, Yana, met us at our train car. She contracted a driver to take us to a special needs orphanage. I knew that we would need a driver, but It was never mentioned that the trip would be 3 hours each way. I thought I would be paying the driver $50 or maybe $75, but the bill was really $200. This actually explains the cheese and bread.
Don't for a minute think that it was money wasted. The orphanage director was not there that day, he was actually in Odessa proper, but he directed the staff to meet with us and introduce us to children and discuss the children and their needs. He met us when we got back to Odessa just to touch base with us and make sure to meet me. I thought this was so very nice. He went out of his way just to meet me!
The orphanage has 12 children who are so young that their HIV status is still undetermined and they are not yet available for adoption. There are 3 other HIV+ children who are in Kiev right now receiving special treatments. We will be visiting them this Monday and bring them diapers, bananas, and crackers.
I was able to meet a number of other children. They have a number of different special needs. They gave me the exray of one child in order to share with his potential family when they step forward. His is an exceptionally bright little boy according to the staff. His little legs are bent under him and are not usable. They told of another little boy who had the same condition only much worse, who had been adopted and given a surgery. They said the family sent them a picture of him riding a bike! They expressed great hope that we at Project HOPEFUL might find a family for him. They held another little girl out to me who could not interact with those around her. They handled her with gentle care and attention, but were at a loss as to what could be done for her.
I have pictures of all of these precious little ones. I pray that God has a family appointed for each one and I pray that their ears and hearts are open to accept the blessings he has for them.
After such an exhausting road trip, we still needed to meet the director, pay the driver, have dinner and get back on the train to Kiev.
Yana suggested we eat at an Armenian restaurant she had eaten at once before. We were up for it. When we arrived, the owners of the restaurant came out to meet us. Yana had met them on her first visit. They took our bags into their car and had dinner with us. They proudly gave us a tour of the kitchen and showed us the stone pits that the kabobs were cooked in. When we got back to our table, they kept ordering all kinds of food. Cheese platters with brie, blue cheese and feta, 3 different kinds of chicken, mushrooms with cheese, compote (a fruit beverage) and another appitizer that was made of some type of tortilla with cheese, tomato, and herbs. The table was full. We kept eating, trying to make a dent so as not to offend, but when we were done, there was still quite a bit left. They also would not consider letting us pay for this incredible spread. It was their treat.
They mentioned during dinner that we were only 5k from the Black Sea. I said that would have been nice to see. They insisted on driving us there before we went to the train. They even escorted us to the water's edge so the girls could stand in it and say that they had been in the Black Sea. Their kindness and enthusiasm was such a wonderful and unexpected treat.
We are now back in Kiev. We got to spend the day visiting with some other adoptive families who have recently arrived. Tomorrow we go to the hospital, Tuesday I meet with another coordinator who wishes to connect with Project HOPEFUL to advocate for children in Crimea and I have one other small appointment, then we are done. We intend to meet a bunch of other adoptive families on Tuesday evening but have no other obligations after that. Our flight leaves Wednesday after 3pm. It has only just come to my attention that we have a 10 hour layover in London. I didn't realize that. I am also not really looking forward to it either. Oh well. God will provide for us, the endurance and patience to live through it.
Thank you all for your prayers and I am so blessed to be here.

The third day of orphanage visits

2011-06-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

I am a day behind in reporting on our orphanage visits. Today we took a day off and spent the afternoon on a river bank with Masha and her children. Yesterday we went to Slavyansk.
If that name sounds familiar it is because I have written about Slavyansk before. Last summer. It is where Nastia is, and yes, we went to her orphanage.
The director of this orphanage has a reputation for being difficult (she is not the reason Nastia did not come home last year), but during our visit, she was open, honest, and inquisitive.
She asked many questions about HIV, how it is spread, how it is not spread, how long does the virus live outside of the body (it can't), what happens to HIV+ blood in water (it is too diluted to make an impact and again, dies outside the body) and we discussed how in spite of the fact that HIV is rather difficult to contract, it is spreading at an epedimic rate in Ukraine. After I answered all of her questions, she agreed that what I said concurred with what she knew to be true. She admitted that while she knew it to be true, the workers who cared for the HIV+ children were not as informed and were reluctant to take her word for it. They wanted the children's dishes specially sanatized, they were afraid to wash the children well for fear of catching the disease and wanted many other special precautions that were time consuming and ultimately would make no difference.
I explained that part of Project HOPEFUL's mission was HIV education and told her about our seminars through the University. She and I agree that a dvd of this would be very good for her workers to get over their irrational fear and fight stigma. I told her that this was something we could try to work on.
The children in her orphanage stay there from ages 4 or 5 until 8 years old. After they turn 8, the children are moved to Internat. She became very grave when discussing Internat. She said that while a facillity like hers housed 35-40 children, Internat held 200 ranging in age up to 16. She expressed concern for the children leaving her in August. She has 4 children who will be leaving her in August. She said she was sad to send them there and commented that she would never want to work there.
We then got to visit the different groupas. She knew that I had been there last year for Nastia and took me to her groupa first. Friends, Nastia still looks so happy and healthy. We did not go out of our way to talk to her seperately, but when ever I caught her eye I would wink at her. This was often. I could tell that she recognized me but didn't know why. She was full of smiles. The children showed us their favorite toys and Daniel recited a special poem. We weren't allowed to take individual photos, but we have a group shot of each groupa. Hanna and Sveta are in Nastia's groupa shot and Nastia is right next to Sveta.
Before we left, we brought in the 4 giant duffel bags of clothing. She was so thankful. She spoke candidly about the finances of the orphanage, that they had enough money for food and necessities for the children but they didn't have enough clothes when the children went to camp. If a child was sent to the hospital, they never got the clothes back. She workes hard to carefully budget care for the building. The roof replacement was to be the next big project.
I found her to be economical and practical. One of the groupas was at camp, so the workers who normally took care of that group were busy deep cleaning and painting their area. She chose pleasant, happy colors for the children's area. Next she showed us an indoor playroom. The orphanage had received a gift of $1000. She used it to buy toys and sports equipment much like the large vinyl covered foam shapes found in gymnastic gyms. She explained how each groupa had it's own play area like this one, but only this one could be improved in this way.
Before we left, she gave me a booklet about her orphanage and thanked me for advocating for the children and for bringing her the clothing. She said she hoped I could find famiies for her 7 year olds before they were sent away. I said that was my prayer.

Tomorrow, we visit 2 more orphanages before getting on the overnight train to Odessa where we will visit 2 more orphanages and then get back on the overnight train to Kiev.
Once back in Kiev we don't have any more scheduled visits and will spend the days prior to our flight with newly arriving families showing them the good inexpensive places to eat and where to buy gifts. Generally answering their questions and calming their nerves before the SDA and travel on to their various regions.
All in all, it has been a great trip. We are blessed to do this and I pray that we shine God's light.

More Children, More Need, More HOPE

2011-06-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we visited another orphanage. This orphanage does not house HIV+ children but instead houses children with different labels.

Cerebral Palsy
Amniotic Bands resulting in loss of a foot and finger binding
Severe Brain Damage
Severe Hydrocephalus
Apert Syndrome
Arthrogryposis
Downs Syndrome

And worst of all...

NO MOMA AND PAPA to call their own.

To hold them
and rock them
and comfort them
and take care of them
and teach them
and cherish them
and the list goes on.

Could their be any worse diagnosis?

Sometimes I wonder how I can go on with the eyes of the orphanage directors and doctors full of hope that this woman, me, might find the ear, the HEART, of a mama and papa for these malinkies (little ones).

I tell them I do, I can, I will. (as my heart cries out, "Oh Lord, open their ears, their hearts, send them!)

I have HOPE.

The Lord will not leave them as orphans. He sets the lonely in families.

Dear friends, dear church...

THE HOPE IS YOU.

THE FAMILIES ARE YOURS.

Greetings from Ukraine

2011-06-06T11:23:00.000-07:00

I wrote this on the train to Donetsk. It is a 14 hour ride. Forgive any misspellings, I am tired and using wordpad.

On June 1, Sveta, Hanna and I boarded a plane and flew to Ukraine.
We have spent the last few days in Kiev and are now on the train to Donetsk.
Just what exactly is our purpose here?
That's a great question. As the director of the FIG program for Project HOPEFUL, it is my honor and duty to find out how best to "stand in the gap" for precious orphaned children around the world. While responsible to and for all the children on our Waiting Kids list, I am the Ukraine contact, so it falls to me to explore the needs here in Eastern Europe.
Our first stop was the offices of Mercy Projects/Eastern European Outreach. These offices became our home for the first few days of the trip. Eastern European Outreach is the organization through whom we support foster families. They have many program,s but we feel that we can best compliment their program by advocating for their foster families and seeking partner families in the U.S. to aid them financially. They seek to fund 15 christian familes as they take up the Lord's commission to parent orphaned children by raising them within a loving family as opposed to within an institution. If you are interested in learning more about these families and what can be done, please don't hesitate to contact me. traci@projecthopeful.org .
Eastern European Outreach also supports a church run orphanage an hour outside of Kiev. We had the pleasure of spending the afternoon there and were welcomed to get to know the chlidren. While the majority of children advocated for by Project HOPEFUL are infected or affected by HIV, we also advocate for children with other severe special needs. All of the children I was blessed to meet were over the age of 10 or part of a large sibling group.
I want to tell you about one sibling group of 4.
Tkhoirvsyya
Maria (Masha) 12.15.95,
Olexandr (Sasha) 1.10.00
Alina 8.03.02
Viktoriya (Vika) 8.02.06

The following is the brief description of these 4 children shared by the orphanage:
Masha and her 3 siblings are in the orphanage since 2009. They were taken from a regional shelter. Their mother was deprived of her parental rights. They don't know where their father is. She is like a mother to her younger siblings. She finished 9th grade. She works very hard in school but it is difficult because she missed many classes. In spite of this, she passed the exams that will allow her to enter a trade school.
Here's what the description doesn't tell you that I was able to gleen from spending lunch with them and speaking with the camp councilors who were wrapping up a 3 week stint at the orphanage:
Of all the children I spoke to, she was the only one who boldly and openly admitted that she hoped for a family. I found this very encouraging as well as heartbreaking. That at 16, when she could easily be turned out of institutional care, she was still able to hope for a future with parents of her own. That even though she had carried the burden of parenting her 3 younger siblings for a very long time, she still recognized and yearned for someone to care for her.
She also shared with me what she would like to do in the future. Masha would like to work in the travel industry. I can understand the appeal of a job that held the promise of adventure, pampering, and no responsibility. Is there any industry that embodies this more?
When I took a picture of her with her siblings, she blushed and said her picture wasn't good. (She is a very typical teen girl.) She is the oldest girl at the facility and she was clearly weary of all the younger activities that were available during "camp". She was comfortable enough to show irritation at the silly thing her brother had done.
Sasha is a charming boy with a great smile and freckles on his nose. the camp councelors say he is rough around the edges, that he has a tough outer shell but is obviously protecting a soft inside. One evening he had a fever, so one of the councelors went and spent the evening with him. He read to him, held his hand and later prayed with him. He soaked up the attention and thanked the councelor for the evening.
He is very competitive on the field and will play aggressively but this behavior seems to be isolated to the playing field. He definately plays to win.
Alina 8.3.06
She told me she has no interest in school but would rather play and watch tv (sound familiar?)
The camp councelors described her as very confidant and athletic in spite of the fact that she told me she had no interest in sports. She has a warm smile and they compaired her personality to Lucy from Chronicles of Narnia.
Viktoria 8.2.06 Vika has been the youngest at the orphanage until very recently. She was a little miffed at being booted from this position. She said she likes sweets and dolls. The camp councelors said she has a very fun and silly personality. She is a tiny little doll who is doted upon at the orphanage and she revels in the attention.
This sib group has a tight and strong dynamic. I think they would benefit to be adopted by experienced parents who probably have chlidren who are wrapping up high school and are headed for college. Masha has carried the burden of parenting her younger siblings for a long time, and while she may struggle to let that roll go, she needs to be released from that responsibility and experience strong loving parenting. Although Masha is already 16, because she is part of a sibling group, she is able to stay at the orphanage as well as be adopted with her siblings up until the age of 18. We at Project HOPEFUL believe that this situation constitutes a severe special need and we pray that we find the family who will be blessed to meet it.
As I said earlier, we are now on a train. It left the station at 3pm and will arrive at 5am Monday morning in Donetsk. While there, we will visit a number of orphanages. I hope to start building relationships with the directors, at the very least helping them understand that the HIV+ children have a hope to be adopted and encouraging them to file the proper paperwork allowing them to be made available for adoption, and at most, I hope to be allowed to identify children who are available for adoption. I hope to take their pictures along with any information alowab le in order to start finding families for them.
From there, we will travel to Slavyansk. This is probably going to be the most difficult part of the trip for me. Slavyansk is where God asked us to leave Anastasia in His hands, and Anastasia is the reason that the FIG program has grown so rapidly. We are going to her orphanage and we are bringing 4- 50lb bags of donations.
A year ago June 22nd, Scott, Sveta and I traveled to Slavyansk and met our daughter, Anastasia. We spent the next 9 days visiting her twice a day, waiting for our court hearing. We had an initial court hearing and between this first hearing and the second hearing, we were strongly advised and agreed to withdraw our petition to adopt Anastasia. We found this out, prayed, and ultimately withdrew our paperwork after our first visit of the day on July 1. We weren't able to see Anastasia again after that. She turned 5 the next day.
She embodies the reason the FIG program is so important. We need to advocate for these children in order to find families for them before they are moved to an institution that they cannot be adopted from. She also represents the MILLIONS of children who WILL NEVER BE PLACED WITHIN A LOVING FAMILY. We need to develope ways to bring the hope of Jesus to the children who most likely will not realize the hope of parents of their own. What can we do for them? How can we prevent them from being sucked into the viscious cycle that has created the orphan in the first place? Keep them from catching, spreading, creating more HIV+ orphans, and dying from the very thing that brought them to an institution in the first place?

Currently the Eastern European government provides programs for a very few exceptional children to compete for scholarships into programs that will provide a way out for those fortunate enough to qualify. But what about everyone else? Already I see the need for facilities that will help the children who are released at 16 with no guidance or direction. A safe place that will teach love and skills that will keep them from the only choices readily available to them: prostitution and crime.
Do these places exist? Can we find sponsors for them? Must we create them ourselves? Show us the way, O Lord.
Our mission is to learn how to FIGHT DISPAIR AND BRING HOPE.
Pray for us.

Change a life, grow a family, have some fun!

2011-05-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

If you've visited my blog, you've seen this little darling before. This is Addison. Her time is running out.

She will turn 5 soon.

Because of a cleft palate, she cannot form words regardless of how hard she tries. Her little mouth cannot make the proper sounds.

She will turn 5 soon.

When she does, it is likely that this precious child, who has clearly been sprinkled with a very generous helping of stinker, will be transfered into an adult mental institution. Once that happens, there will be no hope for her. There will be no help for her. Her earnest little face that struggles to form words will be walled up behind the gates of an ADULT MENTAL INSTITUTION. If she were to be fitted for an oral appliance much like a common retainer, the hole in the roof of her mouth would be covered until she matured enough and could have surgery.
A MENTAL INSTITUTION because she can't have a RETAINER!!!!

She will be 5 soon.

The Allens are in love, committed, and ready to bring her home. They have scraped, sold, and prayed, knowing that God has asked them to do this and has promised a miracle.
He will provide.
Just how he will provide is being revealed in interesting and exciting ways. One of those ways comes in the form of an all terrain vehicle.

Yup,an ATV.

A very generous donor has offered to supply to the winner of this giveaway a brand new ATV. Read about it and join in the fun here.

She will be 5 soon...

2011-04-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

What an incredibly busy month April has been. I have been struggling to meet many deadlines, and in doing so, I have lagged behind in some of my other duties.
One of the issues has directly impacted a delay in a very important job. Namely, I am one of the many adoptive families who were hit with the "random" audit to insure that we qualified to receive the adoption tax rebate. It was no problem to have all necessary items for Dasha's adoption, having just completed it in August, but the February '09 completion of Biruk and Hanna's adoption left me rifling through all my past paperwork. I found that I still have receipts from Sveta's adoption in 1998 but receipts from 2008-9 are frustratingly absent. The IRS was kind enough to include a standard pre-addressed envelope to hold my supporting documents, but the 54 pages I compiled somehow didn't fit. All this to say that I am sorely lacking in funds that I should have readily available. A portion of our tax return had been allocated to finance the mission trip I am taking to Ukraine June 1. Airline tickets, travel expenses and supplies were all to be purchased with the tax return money. The money that they are withholding until they are sure I qualify to receive it.
We are tightening our belt and will make the trip anyway, but I am struggling to pay for shipping of many boxes of clothing I am sending to Nastia's orphanage in Slavyansk. So many people have donated gently used clothing and shoes, and I was going to pay for shipping. Unfortunately, due to the above situation, I don't have shipping funds right now, but the children still need it. Yesterday.
If any of you have any money you would be willing to donate to help pay for shipping, you can do so here.
All donations are tax deductible. If any of you are in my area and have any items you wish to donate, you can drop it off at my house, or call me and I will be glad to come pick it up.
Thanks so much!

Sharing this again

2011-04-02T16:22:00.000-07:00

This is a story I wrote a little while ago. I have posted this before, but it has been some time and I have some friends struggling with their children's transition. It is so hard to remember when you are in it and some days are so great and other days you question what you have done. I figured it might be time to share it again.
I hope you don't mind.
*****
THE BLANKET

When every baby is born they are given a blanket. This blanket is supposed to be warm and soft and protective. It usually has beautiful colors and satin edging. It is wrapped around the baby and the baby is at peace.

Sometimes, the blanket is old. It hasn't been washed and it is made of burlap, but it is wrapped around the baby, and even though it is a little smelly and scratchy, the baby is at peace.

The blanket for this baby has big problems. There are holes in it. It looks like it had satin edging once, but that has been torn away. It may have had soft pastel colors, but it is now a dull and dirty brownish grey. It is wrapped as best it can be around the baby, and the baby clings to it for peace. But the baby is cold and can't get comfortable. Now, both the baby and the blanket are dirty and smelly, but it is the baby's blanket, and baby holds on to what little comfort it knows, and tries to have peace.

Suddenly, the blanket is ripped away. Baby cries and reaches for the blanket, but it is gone. Baby knows it wasn't a good blanket, a warm and soft blanket, but it was baby's, and with it baby knew the only peace that baby has ever known.
Someone has wrapped a new blanket around baby. It has pretty satin edging and soft fleece. It smells fresh and inviting, but baby throws it off. That is NOT Baby's blanket. Where is baby's blanket? Baby cries and cries as the new blanket is wrapped back around baby's body. Baby notices warmth that baby has never felt before. This is a trick. Yes it is warm, but IT IS NOT MINE!!!!! Baby had better not get used to this. Baby doesn't have a warm, soft blanket. Baby only knows the scratchy, dirty and cold blanket. Baby kicks it away.

Baby is cold and lonely and misses the old blanket.

Baby toys with the edge of the new blanket. Baby feels that it is soft and inviting. Baby can tell it is warm. Maybe baby will just hold the edge of this blanket for a while. It is not baby's blanket, but it is here, and baby is sad and needs comfort.
Someone keeps trying to wrap the whole blanket around baby, but baby still throws it off. Baby will only hold the edge. Why won't baby take the blanket? Can't baby see how much better this blanket is? It is warm, it is soft. Come on, it is polar fleece!! What is baby's problem? It is such a great blanket!!
Baby continues to reject the entire blanket, but is still holding on to the edge. Eventually, baby can cover one arm and rub baby's face with more of the blanket, but baby stops short of wrapping up in it. The new blanket providers have stopped trying to force baby to wrap up in the blanket, and have accepted that baby can't or won't use the whole thing, and have settled on waiting on baby. Sometimes baby brings the blanket to them and asks them to drape it over baby's arm in just the right way so that the satin edge touches baby's face the way baby likes it. This continues for a time and baby realizes that even though baby misses the old blanket, baby has a peace that baby has not known before. Baby thinks it might be this new blanket. Baby is torn. Baby misses old blanket, but old blanket didn't protect baby like new blanket does. New blanket is warm. New blanket smells good and is so very soft.

Old blanket is gone.

One day, baby needs help with the new blanket. Baby takes it to the ones who gave it to baby and they wrap it gently around baby's shoulders. Baby holds on tight to the blanket and baby is at peace.
*****
I know I talk about a baby in this story. I do it so you think about just how long your "baby" has had that old blanket.

sponsorship needs

2011-03-10T19:56:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,
I know that there is so much need in the world and I know that you all yearn to fill it when you can. Currently I am looking for sponsorship to feed 27 orphans in Ukraine. It will cost $150 a month.
One person could meet the entire need or I could divide it $50 or even $25 a month. If you are interested, please leave me a message.
Thank you all for your prayers and support for orphans in need.

Time to take your medicine

2011-02-26T09:41:00.000-08:00

By request, I have videoed Dasha taking her medicine. She takes Zerit, Kaletra, and Epivir. I realize that people may hate me after watching this because Kaletra is nortiously vile and it doesn't seem to phase Dasha in the least. On top of that, the 3rd med she takes is a pill that most people swallow. She chews it. I had to bite one in half once, it is really bad too. This is HIV management at our house. We do this twice a day.

Prayer Requests

2011-02-22T06:43:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking a lot about prayer. About what we pray about. I have noticed a theme that has convicted me recently.

Think about the following prayer:

Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for your love and forgiveness. Thank you for loving me and giving me eternal life. Help me to honor and glorify you in my life.
Lord, I pray you keep us safe as we travel tonight. Watch over us and suround us with your hedge of protection. I pray that "xxx's" upcoming surgery is smooth and he has a rapid recovery with minimum pain...

Do you see it?

Safety. Keep us safe. Protect us.

So what's wrong with that?

Well, I don't think we are really praying for safety. If we are His children, the sheep of His pasture, what safer place could we be in than in the palm of his hand? After all, "... no one will snatch them out of My hand." John 10:28
So what are we praying for then?

I think we are praying for comfort. Lord, keep me comfortable. I want to honor and glorify You with my life as long as I am not too hot or too cold or in pain or experiencing some extended illness. I don't want any part of that but I want to honor and glorify You. Really I do...

Really?

What if an accident on the way home is going to glorify Him? What if experiencing extended illness will glorify Him? What if loosing everything glorifies Him? What if adopting a child with severe emotional issues glorifies Him?
What if...
What if...
What if...

"Keep us safe, Lord," really means protect my comfort, doesn't it?

"I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have trouble, but be brave! I have defeated the world." John 16:33

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
Romans 8:15

I submit that this is not who we are supposed to be. We are to be strong and courageous. This specific command is heard over and over in the Bible.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

Is there something you are supposed to be strong and courageous about today?
What are you staring down the barrel of?
Asking protection from?
I challenge you to remember who your Father is and change your perspective.
Stop focusing on safety and start committing to the honoring and glorifying.
Lest you feel judged, the above was my prayer, remember.
I challenge myself to do the same.

Help Mickey help Addison! Help Mickey help Addison!

2011-02-21T06:57:00.001-08:00

Ok, so it sounds better when Tom Cruise says it that other way. So I'll try it. Help me help you! Help me help you...
make a difference for Addison.

Just look at this little stinker. She is clearly vibrant and full of life. In spite of the fact that she has lived her whole life as an orphan with HIV and a cleft palet. She faces imminent transfer if the her family doesn't get there soon. They heard the Holy Spirit's call and have answered with a resounding YES!
Now it's your turn. Your turn to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to you. I think he is saying, "Help her. Help me help you help her!"
How, you might ask?
Her family realizes that money is tight for everyone but they would really appreciate your financial help. So they have begun clearing out the house of every concievable item that is unnecessary. They have listed furnature on Craig's list. On top of that, they are offering a giveaway. Every $5 received between now and 2/28/11 will earn one entry into the giveaway for an exclusive figurine from the Walt Disney Classics Collection. It is the membership only millennium piece. Who wouldn't want that? Birthdays are coming, Mother's day is coming, St. Patrick's Day is coming. Here is your chance to get a bargain gift worth substancially more than $5. Not to say that you are limited to giving Only $5. Feel free to be as generous as possible.

Click on this link to donate. You can change the world, one child at a time.

Happy Valentines Day

2011-02-14T11:07:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since you've seen "the Dash" in action so enjoy this snippet of Dasha singing me a song.

Home schooling opportunity

2011-02-08T08:41:00.000-08:00

I've been invited to try Time4Learning for one month in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so be sure to come back and read about my experience. Time4Learning can be used as a homeschool curriculum, for afterschool enrichment and for summer skill sharpening. Find out how to write your own curriculum review for Time4Learning.

I'm looking into some additional work for my children to do and this was an excellent opportunity to try something for free!

Burried

2011-02-02T08:57:00.000-08:00

We are buried under snow.
The children are delighted. Even though we home school, I gave a snow day. Someone needs to shovel and last time I did, my back was in spasm for days.

I had another blizzard of sorts yesterday.

I received pictures of 7 orphaned children.

A blizzard of need.

Unfortunately, this is the kind of blizzard that is easy for most to ignore.

When is the last time you heard about orphans if you weren't looking for the information? Did you hear about it in church? On the news? Read it in the news paper?
Nope.
It is the invisible blizzard. In fact if you, like me, carry a shovel and try to do anything about it, people look at you like you are crazy. What do you mean, orphan blizzard? Why do you want more kids? You don't need any more kids.

Mean while, 147 million orphans are burried.
Forgotten.
Unknown and unloved.

I can't live with that.

So I rail against the storm of apathy.
These children exist. They belong to God. If we are his hands and feet, we must make a difference for them.

Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good. Seek justice. Punish those who hurt others. Help orphans. Stand up for the rights of widows.

James 4:17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Proverbs 24:12 If you say, "We don't know anything about this," God, who knows what's in your mind, will notice. He is watching you, and he will know. He will reward each person for what he has done.

Davids knows

2011-01-18T15:43:00.001-08:00

This is Davids after he learned of his family.
No words required.

Answer to prayers- God is good

2011-01-13T14:30:00.001-08:00

Hi friends.
I just wanted to share that since this last post about Davids, a family has been found and over $3900 has been raised to bring him home. Many many people posted this story about Davids on their blog and facebook pages and prayers around the world have been lifted up for this boy.
Please continue to pray that all goes well for his adoption and if you are so inclined, donations are being collected at http://www.projecthopeful.org/donate . Placed Davids in the memo and all proceeds will be placed in his grant fund to bring him home.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and support and remember that this is the story for every orphan waiting. A day comes when they can no longer be placed within a family. My goal is to keep that day from coming for as many children as possible.

The need is real

2011-01-11T16:46:00.000-08:00

the following is a story about a boy that underlines why I advocate so strongly for orphans. The children are real, the problem is real and we MUST be the solution.

This story is about the blond boy in the middle of the picture. His name is Davids. His 16th birthday is coming up in days which means several things to an orphan. First, it means they are about to age out and can’t be considered for adoption. Second, it means that they are on the path to leave the orphanage and will soon be on their own. Third, it means life as they know it now; the little food, shelter, protection and security they currently have is almost gone. In the first year after a child leaves an orphanage, nearly 15% commit suicide.

A few months ago Davids was given the most hoped for news: a family was coming for him. He had been sponsored in America for the summer and shortly after returning to Latvia he was asked how he liked America. He explained he loved it, and it was more than he ever imagined! He was asked if he remembered a particular man who came to meet him and spent time with him the week before he returned to Latvia , and he exclaimed, “Oh Yes and we had fun!”
This man and his wife had decided to adopt Davids. When he was told, his look was utter shock! He questioned, “Who, me?”
They confirmed that it was indeed him.
He shouted, “Oh yes! VERY VERY much YES! And they want ME?”
Davids was the happiest kid on the planet that day. His dream was coming true.

Last week, an email was sent from his adoptive family… now just days before his 16th birthday. It basically said they felt that they would adopt a girl they met (which was planned all along), but they no longer wanted to adopt Davids. They had changed their mind. The next day, an unsolicited email from Davids' social worker in Latvia was sent. This is what she wrote:

"Hello Le Ann,
I wish to ask you about one of our boys, his name is Davids T. He was hosted Summer 2010 at a host family in IL. Since he was close to 16, we got information and you shared with him that there is family who will adopt him. It was not the family who hosted him, but another one.
Till this day we never received more information about the adopting family, and we confirmed that the Ministry also has no information yet. I must share, we are all worried and concerned. Davids became so nervous in this last month, his attention to everything is gone. Yesterday he was moved to hospital, because of problems with his stomach relating to the stress of not knowing. We know this all is because he is so close to his 16th birthday; it's on 23 January this year.
We don’t know what to say and can't say anything to Davids because we don't know. It will be a shock for him if it's not true, he has so long lived with this thoughts focused on this adoption and a family in America .
We wish to know the truth to share so he can know and be happy again.”

They have tried to contact the adoptive family and explain, show them, what their decision has done to this child. So far, there is no response, but more importantly, there is no time with only a few days that remain for someone to file the I800 with USCIS to adopt Davids’. It has been explained to his social worker in Latvia what the full situation is, and as a strong Christian, she has agreed to pray earnestly with us for a new family to come forward for this child! The adoption agency who was working on this case has agreed to do everything they can to expedite the adoption and assist where possible to get them through the system.
If you or someone you know is interested in moving NOW to adopt Davids’, this is what needs to happen:
1)You must already have an approved home study issued by a Hague Accredited adoption agency in the USA . It must be able to be amended to show you are approved for at least one child, a boy, who is age 16 or under.
2)You must be willing to file with the USCIS the form I800, which will specify Davids’ as the child you intend to adopt, and it must be received prior to January 23, 2011. If done, this gives the adopting family 180 more days to complete the adoption.

Please join us in immediate prayer and action to locate and identify Davids’ Forever Family!!! You are out there somewhere and God knows exactly who you are and He doesn’t make mistakes. We just need to get the word to you about him.
Contact:
Le Ann Dakake, Director of Hosting Programs, New Horizons for Children 678-313-8321 cell
Or
Cathy Sawyer, An Open Door Adoption: 404-667-0694

Thinking about the children who wait

2011-01-08T09:26:00.000-08:00

I have been quiet lately here on my blog, but I assure you, here in my home, not so much. Lots have been going on, most of it very exciting, but I wanted to share the very real burden on my heart. I understand that if this is not where you are you may come away from this post feeling like you have been emotionally manipulated, but that is not my intent. This verse weighs on me. I understand what it means. It is a beautiful reminder of what Christ has done for me and it speaks exactly to what every orphan feels.

Romans 8:22-24
For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
24For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?

I think this is a very moving passage. It speaks of our redemption in Christ. The pain of living outside of his family, our eagerness to be redeemed- adopted as sons and the hope we have that it will happen.

It is exactly what my children experienced before they were adopted into my family. It is the story of every orphan living today.

We know that they groan and suffer (is there anything more painful than childbirth? I think the seperation, the isolation from love and family and belonging, is the soul's equivelant pain.)
They are groaning within themselves (for there is no one else to groan to) wiating eagerly for their adoption, the redemption of their tiny little lives.
They hope for this, because it has not yet happened, as the verse says, who hopes for what he already sees? These children see no one coming for them... but they hope.
They hope for you, friend. They groan within themselves waiting for you to move as the Holy Spirit calls you to act. Waiting for their redemption from exile, to be adopted as your son or daughter.

This is the burden on my heart. It is what fuels the FIG program. I know that it is what motivates the people who have stepped up to advocate for the children still waiting.
If it is something that burdens you, contact me or go to www.projecthopeful.org . you can get involved.
You can make a difference.

2010-12-14T18:51:00.000-08:00

This is Peyton (not real name). He is 4 years old. He has beautiful brown eyes and dimples. He is HIV+ and healthy. It is important that a family is found for him soon because at five years of age he will be transferred to another institution. It is vital to adopt children out of this particular Eastern European country prior to the age of five because their risk of being placed into an institution that they cannot be released from is great. Currently Peyton resides in an attentive orphanage with an adoption friendly court system.
If you would like to be a FIG family for Peyton,or better yet his permenant family, please contact me at figs@projecthopeful.org . I will get you started right away.

I don't want insulation

2010-12-05T07:29:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about insulation lately. No, we are not working on a home improvement project and I don't work at Menards. But in wracking my brains over why there is such an orphan crisis, HIV crisis, food crisis, homeless crisis, I've realized that it's an insulation problem.

Just what do I mean by that?

First, what does it mean to insulate?

Dictionary.com says:
Insulate
1. to prevent or reduce the transmission of electricity, heat, or sound to or from (a body, device, or region) by surrounding with a nonconducting material

2. to isolate or detach

this site goes on to give Word Origin & History

insulate

1538, "make into an island," from L. insulatus (see insular). Sense of "cause a person or thing to be detached from surroundings" is from 1785. Electrical/chemical sense of "block from electricity or heat" is from 1742. Insulation "insulating material" is from 1870.

I found this fascinating. It spoke exactly to what I think is the problem. Lets start with the second definition first. To isolate or detach:

It is estimated that there is a new HIV infected person every 5 seconds. Therefore we are looking at about 17,280 people daily contracting the virus.

16,000 people a day die from starvation in the world. That is over 6,000,000 per year on this planet.

There are over 132 million orphans according to www.unicef.org and other sources suggest closer to 143-163 million world wide

In 2005 an approximate 1 billion did not have suitable housing and 100 million had no housing whatsoever

That is a lot of people. Can you name one? One person experiencing any of these problems? See what I mean? The average American is isolated and detached from all of these problems.

How about the first definition: to prevent or reduce transmission of electricity, heat, or sound to or from (a body, device, or region) by surrounding with a nonconducting material. Or in this example: reduce transmission of awareness of the problem, compassion or consideration for the needy, or desire to change the status quo for those suffering from these situations.
We have been made into an island. We have become detached from our surroundings. We can't see beyond our own easily gained comfort. Cold? Turn up the heat. Hungry? Order a pizza. Bored? Numb your mind with one of many "reality" shows celebrating the mortifying egocentricity of countless people who are proud to flaunt their depravity. It must break God's heart that this is our "reality". I know it breaks mine.
So how do we overcome this detachment? This paralyzing sense of entitlement? This insulation?
It is going to be hard my friends. Especially for those of us who have managed to obey Jesus and do something. I don't think there is anything more difficult than adopting the second child when it was such a challenge to adopt the first. If you find yourself in this situation understand that most of your "support system" will indulge your "need" to help once, but don't go overboard now. Reject this, friend! Jesus gave His All. He paid it all. If we are His, our lives are not our own. We must pour out ourselves for him.
1 Corinthians 9:24
24(A)Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives (B)the prize? (C)Run in such a way that you may win.

Matthew 25:44-45
44"Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?'
45"Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'

Ephesians 4:1b
Therefore I urge you who have been chosen by God to live up to the life to which He called you to.

Tear off the insulation of this life. Stand naked and raw in the face of dire need and don't flinch. Don't stop working, shouting, crying, helping, until the work is done or He calls you home. Yearn for the words, "Well done my good and faithful servant..."

The Exciting things

2010-11-28T13:55:00.001-08:00

I am ready to share with you about the ministry opportunities that have opened up for me. As most of you know, I volunteer with Project HOPEFUL. Until now, it has been mostly on a fill in wherever needed basis. I am pleased to share with you that I now operate in a more official capacity.
I am the FIG Program Director. Also the Ukraine contact. That last bit speaks mostly to the fact that I am the one who has most recently been through the Ukraine process and in developing the FIG program, I have and am continuing to gather lots of Ukraine resources.
The more exciting news is the part of FIG director.

What is the FIG Program?

I'm glad you asked.

FIG stands for 'Family in the Gap'.
As a FIG member a person or family can choose one of two sponsorship programs.
First as a specific orphan advocate. For a year long time period, a person/family/group will choose one child from the waiting list and perform 4 core tasks.
first, PRAY.
Second, COMMIT.
Third, ADVOCATE.
Finally, FUND RAISE.

The second choice is to commit to be a Foster Family Sponsor on a yearly basis.
The core components are similar:
PRAY
COMMIT
DONATE

You can read more about the FIG program as well as the other programs that Project HOPEFUL operates.
If you would like more information about the program, please email me at figs@projecthopeful.org and I will send you an information packet.

You might also like to see the TRUTH PANDEMIC video here . It is full of excellent information about HIV and how it can and cannot be passed. Additionally, all of my children are in it and that's always a treat.
www.projecthopeful.org

Encouragement for the timid

2010-11-21T11:35:00.000-08:00

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

I don't think there is anything I could add to this (nor should I). I encourage you to be strong and courageous, friends. If God is the source of our strength, if He is the author of our lives, how dare we not be?

Where does your faith really lie?

2010-11-13T13:42:00.000-08:00

I have been a little quiet lately. I have a lot on my mind. Not to mention on my plate. Three months have passed since Dasha came home and a lot has happened in that time. The family is settling back into a routine and new ministry opportunities have opened up. I will be sharing about that shortly, but not quite yet. Until then, I have something else on my mind.

It has to do with faith.

Faith and obedience to do hard things.
Things that really, truly require us to place our faith firmly on our Heavenly Father.
A faith that seems to be lacking in all the places that it should be strongest.

I imagine this problem crops up in other areas, but as adoption seems to be my arena, I must admit, it seems to be a well where faith in our Father and an ear to obey his call has run dry.

Why do I say this? Because of the numerous stories I am told about families who have been cautioned, if not all out chided for considering a second or, dear God, not a third adoption (are you mad? when does it end?), and most distressing, dissuaded from hearing the call of adoption at all.

How is this manifest? With admonishments to "take care of your own children first" and then see what is left. When families are told they don't "need" any more children. You've done enough now. Worst of all, when they are told to "count the cost" of bringing home these "damaged" children. As if the children weren't even worthy of consideration, much less compassion.
Where does this lack of faith come from?
Certainly not from the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). This reasoning would have Jesus praising the two men who moved to the other side of the road to avoid the wounded traveler rather than commanding that we show the love of the Samaritan. Jesus didn't say, "Well done avoiding the unclean. Excellent job preserving the inheritance of the children already in your home. If you spent your money taking care of this unfortunate soul, the doctor's bills and hotel stay would really put a dent in the old retirement fund. Way to be prudent. Bravo!"
Also not found in the story of Elijah and the Widow (I Kings 17:8-16)
In this story the widow is told to make Elijah a loaf of bread. She has just told him that she only has enough left for one last meager meal, then they will die. In spite of this, she does what he says and the widow, her son, and Elijah are fed out of her flour and oil until the drought was over.
If that woman had asked for advice in today's world, she would have been told to take care of her son. He is her first obligation. You can't be expected to save everyone, you know. You're just one person.

WHERE IS OUR FAITH? WHEN WE ARE PLACED IN THESE SITUATIONS, IT IS SO THAT GOD CAN BE GLORIFIED. HOW CAN WE EVER SEE GOD'S MIRACULOUS PROVISION IF WE ARE NEVER IN A PLACE WHERE WE NEED IT?

FYI: The family that had been advised to care for the ones they already had at home, who bristled at this advice and rejected it, planned together last night to mail their paperwork as soon as they had the first amount needed. As I began writing this post, I received a call from her. While we spoke she was opening the mail. In it there just so happened to be a $500 check they didn't expect.

Be encouraged, friend. We serve an awesome God who will sustain us and support us and equip us with what we need to do what He wants us to do!

What it's all about

2010-10-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

While I ment the last post to be hopeful, I think sometimes it is hard to see past the pain to the hope. What I wanted to say is that I no longer see the pain because of the hope.

This is an email I recieved recently. It was written by my friends the Oberhausers, who are in Ukraine right now. They have perfectly captured the essense of adoption and why the Holy Spirit insists that we adopt these children. How else could we fully understand the Father's love for us?
****************************************************
The day before yesterday, our adoption facilitator here in Nikolaev said a couple of things that reminded me what this whole adoption process is ultimately about. Her name is Sasha, and she was talking about the paperwork that should have been kept up-to-date for Vanya. For most orphans in Vanya's orphanage ("The Baby House" - an excellent facility), medical records, etc. are kept in good order so that if and when someone should come to adopt them, the process can go smoothly. In Vanya's case, however, many of the things that should have been kept tidy were not, and now Sasha really has her work cut out for her to get things ready for a court date. The reason Vanya's records have fallen into such disarray is the fact that he is blind and may have other special needs. Because of this, most people working with his case felt that his records did not need to be kept up-to-date, since there was practically no hope that he would ever be adopted.
Wow. No hope. This statement reminded me of Ephesians 2:12, where Paul describes our spiritual state apart from Christ:
"Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated...having no hope and without God in the world."
At one time, I was without hope. Before I knew Christ, I was trapped hopelessly in the Orphanage of Sin, with no power to remove myself from that state. If Vanya is not taken from the Baby House, he will eventually be transferred to an institution for special needs children, where his quality of life would be extremely poor, and his chances of ever being united to a family drop to almost zero. Similarly, if I had never come to be united with Christ, my eternal destiny would have been eternal separation from God in hell.
About a year ago or so, Reece's Rainbow (the adoption ministry from the States that we are working with) began advocating for special needs orphans in the Baby House. Since that time, a number of other "hopeless" orphans have been adopted into loving homes. This has been nothing short of amazing to those associated with these children here in Ukraine. Orphans like these are very undesirable to most Ukrainian families because of their inability to provide for their parents as they age. Shasha described it like this: "To us, it seems like you people are from another planet or something."
This statement stopped me in my tracks. It drove home the fact that in my previous state of lostness, I needed someone "from another planet or something" to come and rescue me. Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world," (John 18:36) and he came to die on the cross to rescue me. Or as Paul puts it in Ephesians 1:3-6:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places {another planet or something}, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved."
Adoption is one of the clearest pictures of what happens in our salvation. We are blinded and without hope in our sin, powerless to escape our destiny. By no merit of ours, the Father chooses to save us by his sovereign, glorious grace, even when we shouldn't be desirable to him. And that's not even the whole story. Not only are we unable to get ourselves to God, we are enemies of God (see Romans 5:6-10). Talk about not deserving to be adopted.
Our adoption of Vanya (and every other earthly adoption) is simply a shadow of the much greater spiritual reality that takes place any time our Heavenly Father adopts a sinful human through faith in his Son Jesus Christ (see Ephesians 2:1-10). So this adoption is not just about us bringing home an unwanted orphan, but it is more ultimately about reflecting the greater truth that God brings home undeserving sinners. We had no hope. He came from "another planet or something" and chose us for adoption as sons. So please pray with us that Sasha and others will see this ultimate reality of adoption and that God will get all glory through this adoption.

How do you do it?

2010-10-18T13:22:00.000-07:00

We read about loss every day. Children, parents, cousins, neighbors, friends, gone to cancer, old age, illness, accident. Somehow, in spite of it all, the bills keep coming, groceries keep needing to be replaced, paychecks must be earned, noses wiped, meals cooked, children tucked in, homework checked, laundry done. Life just keeps on going.

I always wondered how one lives with the anguish of loosing a child.

Then I miscarried.

Twice.

I heard stories of people loving and working for months, years, on adoption paperwork , meeting and spending time with the child, loving them, and then being denied the ability to bring their child home.

I wondered, just how do you live through a failed adoption?

Then I gave Anastasia a kiss, told her to have a great lunch, I would see her in a couple of hours.

I never saw her again.

Just how do you live with that?

Psalm 28:13
I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Daily His grace is sufficient for me. I know that only He knows what is best, wants what is best, provides what is best.
To His glory, it is best for us to suffer these losses. If I did not believe this, I would surely despair. Frankly, I don't know how anyone lives outside of Christ without despair.

Psalm 28:13
I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Friend, I have seen the goodness of the Lord. My prayer is that you do too.

Spring Sveta! (not mine, another one!)

2010-10-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

Exciting things are happening all the time. As I shared dinner with a family who recently completed the adoption of their HIV+ daughter from Ukraine, and listened as they outlined the "crazy" plan to persue the adoption of another child who needs a family quickly, A facebook friend popped up with a question about a child they feel moved to adopt while in Ukraine adopting a little girl they have already committed to. She shared that they couldn't stop thinking about her and if they could secure an addtitional $12,000 in the next 12 days, (11 now), they would be able to bring her home too.

That's where you come in.
STEP 1:
click on the Project Hopeful donate button here on my blog.
STEP 2:
***VERY IMPORTANT!!! PUT SVETA'S NAME IN THE NOTE!!!***
STEP 3:
donate at least $5 for a chance to win the necklace and T-shirt.
feel free to be very generous!!

ALL PROCEEDS WILL DIRECTLY BENEFIT SVETA AND WILL BE IN A FUND FOR HER ADOPTION, REGARDLESS OF WEATHER OR NOT THIS FAMILY IS ABLE TO COMPLETE HER ADOPTION

HERE'S THE OFFER

This is SVETA!!!

Dawn Patterson used the Project Hopeful pendant and created this AWESOME necklace

....AAAAAAND....A PH T with a GREAT reminder!

This is your chance to look great and do something even greater! $5 donations to win:

FUNKY FISH Project HOPEFUL necklace/ Project HOPEFUL “It's not about me.” T-shirt

For addtional information about how this particular donation drive got started, visit http://twietconfetti.blogspot.com/

Help SPRING SVETA....

A single cup of water...

2010-10-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

So often we set our sights on grand things and are discouraged. We hear about someone leaving everything and relocating to a third world country to be a missionary and instantly we think, "I could never do that."
We meet someone who downsized their lifestyle in order to give more to those who need it and we think, "I could never do that."
We know someone who adopted multiple children of different ages and health issues and say out loud, "I could never do that."
(yes, I know, this last one describes me. I can't tell you how many times I've heard this. If I had a dime for every time... I could pay for another adoption!)

Why do we always focus on what we can't do? Compare ourselves to someone else, become overwhelmed by the monumental shift it would take to make it happen, and write it off as something we could never do?
Do we really expect something so extreme from everybody? Would we really rather settle for nothing than to make an effort and miss such a high mark?

It is ok if you can "never do" something. It is not ok to never do ANYTHING.

Can't move to another country to be a missionary? Support one who can. Start talking to your neighbors. Pray for them. Rake the leaves of an elderly neighbor. Pull up their garbage cans, bake some cookies.

So you can't imagine downsizing your life. Downsize 1 thing. Eat out less. Reduce your cable, or cell phone, or grocery bill. Use the money to help someone else.

You don't have to adopt a child. Sponsor one, sponsor someone else's adoption, become a Safe Family, foster a child, become a big brother/sister. Volunteer in a children's program like Awana, or Champions or Girl/Boy scouts. Teach Sunday School. Run the Christmas program. There are too many children right here who need a positive influence, even if they do have parents, to write them off with "I could never..."

Maybe you could "never do that," but don't stop there. Follow it up with "but I could do ..."

From an excerpt off of Tom Davis' facebook post:

Don't underestimate the power of doing something, even when it seems insignificant. Don't think that your small gesture doesn't matter. Don't let the opportunity pass to make a difference in the life of someone today.

One of my favorite songs by Sara Groves ends with the phrase, "Like a single cup of water, how it matters."

Matthew 10:42
And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.
Every little bit matters.

Like the new look?

2010-10-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

As you can see, my blog has been updated. It was really bad. In order to fix it, I got to do something really good!
A woman named Becky is earning funds for her adoption by updating blogs. you can read about her progress here www.bringinghomeezra.blogspot.com
For a small fee, she will update your blog as well!
Don't have a blog? No problem, you can donate some money anyway!

Something to think about

2010-09-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

So now, dear friends, let me remind you..."As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work." There is much work to be done. More orphan children who need homes. More adoptive families who need support. More people who need to know the truth about God and His unfailing love. Please consider what the Lord would have you do.

I read this on the blog of a woman we met while in Ukraine. This is how she wrapped up a post. I love it. It is encouraging, thought provoking, and to the point. While clear that adoption is heavy on her heart, she doesn't pretend that it is the only way to show your obedience. The body has different parts and different jobs. Just like her, I would encourage you to consider just what exactly it is that Jesus is asking you to do, and I will be praying that you "get on the stick" as I like to say.
FYI, catching up on sleep, not so depressed and homelife is running much more smoothly. I just didn't think it would be very honest not to be transparent about what transition is really like, at least for me, anyway. It summed up the last 5 adoption transitions, so it's not like I didn't know what was coming. ;)
Praying for you all,
Traci

Change, Change, Change

2010-09-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

When a new child comes into your home, everything changes. It is exciting and fun and thrilling and delightful, and exhausting, and depressing and dismaying.

Yep, I said it.

Exhausting.
Depressing.
Dismaying.

And I am not even talking about your child's transition. I am talking about yours. Mine. The parent's.

I am Excited.
I am having fun.
I am thrilled.
I am delighted.

I am exhausted.
I am depressed.
I am dismayed.

I am excited about the change God had in mind for my family. I am having fun with our new daughter and all the ways she completes our family in a way we didn't even know there were deficiencies. I am thrilled that God chose us. That we get to serve Him in this way and that I get to be Dasha's mom. I am delighted with everything about our life, our home, our family, our heavenly Father.

But I am also exhausted. When your life changes, it is exhausting. All the old patterns and habbits get disrupted. Your old comfortable groove is gone and you have to take the time to carve out a new groove. Until that groove is nice and deep, plan on being very, very tired.

I am depressed. I miss the old. I miss snuggling in bed until long past the time I should get up on a Saturday morning. I miss all my old indulgent habbits that I no longer get to indulge in. I am depressed that all the idosycracies that my husband has are still there. When I feel like I don't have a handle on things, all the little things that I normally suck up, frustrate me more than usual. All the "good enough for now" things that I deal with, I no longer have any patience for. I am suddenly sick of "good enough for now" and my poor spouse is left feeling like his wife has disappeared and a banshee has replaced her. Yes, it is very selfish of me. That would be why I am dismayed.

I feel dismay that even after all the Holy Spirit brought me through, all my deep spiritual growth that I so value having experienced, I am just another Israellite complaining in the wilderness about food and water. All of a sudden, only perfection is good enough for me. You know, because I am so perfect.

Yep. Change is hard and discouraging and depressing. If you aren't careful, it can blind you to the beautiful transformation that God has planned for you. You can miss the delight, the thrill, the fun and the excitement of living in God's will and you can climb right out of His perfect peace.

Oh Lord,
guard my heart. Keep my eyes on you. Help me delight in your gifts and be broken over what breaks your heart. May I always be a vessel used in your work and please, keep me in your perfect peace.
Amen.

Back to cute pictures

2010-08-19T10:50:00.001-07:00

This is how she fell asleep on the way home from a dinner meeting. Natrually, she sat at the head of the table.
If you look closely at the upper right hand corner, Hanna was squeezing into the picture. I didn't know that, she is supposed to be sitting back in her seatbelt! Silly girl.

A little off my usual topic

2010-08-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

You know how cute Dasha is. As you may well guess, she is still the most amazing cutie. Seeing as that is not going to change any time soon, I thought I'd venture off onto a topic that has been on my heart for a little while. I hope this is recieved in the spirit it is written, and it is just my opinion. As much as I like to believe I am always right, I know that is not the case.
So this is just what has been rankling around in my head. What do you think? Am I off, or what?

Here goes:
During our Church service, my church prayed for my family before we left. I was and am very grateful for all the sustaining prayers then and while we were away. However, one aspect of the prayer left me bristling a little. It took me a bit to figure out what is was that didn't sit right with me. they prayed for our trip as we embarked on our ministry of adoption. So what's wrong with that?

Well, I guess I don't view the fact that we have adopted 6 children as my "ministry".

Adoption is simply how God has chosen to fill my quiver.
They are my children.
I parent them.
They are not a ministry.

Maybe I am wrong here, but here's how I see it.

I mean, do families with only birth children view their children as their ministry?
Does the husband come downstairs and say, "Honey, I've been going over the numbers, reviewing our ministry, and I think it's time we expand. Take a look at these projections and let me know what you think."

"OOOOh, this does look good. You're right. Come on, let's go and PUT A BABY IN ME!"

I am being purposefully silly here, but I think you get my point. Your children aren't a ministry.
They are family. My friends have always told me that they kind of got the itch for another child and went for it. Sometimes it was a bit of a suprise, but no one has ever said that as a ministry, they were deciding to have another child. Even within our own adoption dicisions, we never chose to adopt because it was a ministry move. Definately the Holy Spirit moved within us, showing us that there were children who needed a family and we were to be that family, but it was us saying yes to the blessing the Lord had for us. In acting in obedience to the Holy Spirit's guidance, we met the needs of orphans and our need to obey, but we didn't take on more ministry. While we all definately minister to our children, they aren't a ministry.

I am rambling, but continuing on:

There are aspects of adoption that fall under orphan care, no doubt. In fact, everything up until the judge says they are yours IS orphan care. After that, it is parenting the kids God blessed you with. I have 6 children by adoption in my home, but there aren't any orphans here.

Adoption agencies are ministries. Orphan advocacy groups are ministries. Adoption grant funds are ministries.
Me parenting my children is not a ministry.

I have issues about thinking that way. Ministries are not forever. You can scale back on your ministry. You can quit a ministry. You can turn it over to someone else. You can't do that with a family. If I were to view my children as a ministry it would imply that it was not quite permanent. That if I got tired, or sick or felt under appreciated, I could step out. With family, that is not an option.

I do have an adoption related ministry. Whenever I am asked to share our family's story and it inspires someone to action, every time someone asks me how to go about starting the adoption process, or asks for a referral of an agency, or asks for support or advice once their child is home, or I prepare a meal for when they get home, or get their mail, mow their lawn, watch their other children while they are gone, that's my ministry.

As for us and our 2 Russian, 3 Ethiopian, and 1 Ukrainian born children, well, they are my family.

Psalms 113:9 (new century version)
He gives children to the woman who has none and makes her a happy mother.

The Heim family finally united

2010-08-10T04:33:00.000-07:00

The Heim Family

All the friends who met us at the air port. All adoptive families ( in case you couldn't tell) and all helped out while I was away. Don't I have beautiful friends?

It's time, it's time. Did she just say it's time?

2010-08-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

(shout out to Vegie Tales)

Well, like the title says, IT'S TIME!!!!

I can harldy believe it. I have been here for 2 full months. It feels like a life time and also just a blink of an eye.

I miss my kids, my home, my husband. I spent half of this time with him, but I still miss him most. I miss my friends, sharing everyday life with them.

I am eager to experience this new family that God has forged. To watch Dasha grow into her new family, to be loved and to grow.

Oh Lord, that you would think of me so much that you would bless me with these trials and challenges and blessings.

I am amazed.

Exciting times

2010-08-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

So, a lot has happened since my last post.
Tuesday was the day I got to pick up the princess. But first, we had a lot of running to do.
We left the apartment at 8am and started by going to the court and picking up the court decree. Then we went to the baby house to get her original birth certificate. Then we dropped off the paperwork needed for the adoption certificate. Next, we went to the office where they issue the new birth certificate listing Scott and I as parents. There was a minor problem here. The person in charge was on vacation and the underlings were reluctant to issue anything in her absence for fear of doing something wrong. I can appreciate that, but as it is a fairly self explanatory document, let’s get moving, ladies. Numerous stalls and calls later, this document was finally secured. Victory! As it was now the national lunch time, 1:00pm – 2:00 pm, we could not go pick up the adoption certificate, so we went to the HIV hospital to pick up enough medicine to last Dasha until we go to the doctor. As none of these offices are anywhere near each other, in fact, they are in 2 different vast towns, we were able to go back to the office to pick up the adoption certificate.
Back to the baby house we went, not to pick up Dasha yet, but to pick up a representative so I could close Dasha’s bank account and donate it to the baby house. It was now 4:00pm. At the bank we hit another snag. The bank wanted one of the documents notarized. Sprinkled amongst all the earlier stops were a number of notary visits. (Notary offices are EVERYWHERE!) Sasha looks a little stricken. “Wait right here!” she yells over her shoulder as she literally sprints out of the bank. At this point I have no idea what is wrong, but the baby house rep and I take a seat and wait. 15 minutes later, a winded Sasha dashes back in waiving a paper over her head. We reaproach the counter and the transaction proceeds as planned.
Now we could finally go back and pick up Dasha. The proper papers are signed, meds are quickly explained, and we are OUTTA THERE! It is 4:55pm.
Provided we could secure tickets, our train would depart at 7:20pm. Sasha turned to me and said, “Ok, now we pray.” I told her I had been praying all day. We were able to secure tickets and bolted back to the apartment to pick up the luggage and pay the landlord.
It was 6:30, I still needed to buy some food for dinner and Dasha’s meds were scheduled for 7:00pm with milk, and 8:00pm with food.
Again, the train was leaving at 7:20.
I bought 3 baked potatoes with garlic butter and cheese, 2 bananas and a big bottle of water. It was the best I could do. In my possession I already had a bag of shortbread cookies and 4 slices of cheese. This was dinner and breakfast.
We arrived in Kiev at 7:00am on the button, and the driver was waiting for us. He was supposed to take us to Sherry White’s apartment. She was leaving in the morning and I planned to take over where she left off. It is more centrally located, and the price was right. We verified that this was ok ahead of time.
Niko was definitely not taking me to Sherry’s apartment. Maybe we are going directly to the Embassy medical? He parked the car and popped the trunk. Nope. It was an apartment located up a steep and winding road, buried where no Tinley Park girl would ever find it. I quickly told him that I was not staying here, please take me to Sherry’s, and he did.
That night there were 3 adult women, an 11 year old boy, and 4 freshly adopted children in this small apartment. 2 women and 3 children vacated the premises at 3:00am, and now it’s just Andy, Dasha and I.
Yesterday we had her medical exam and today we had the first of 2 embassy appointments. I get her Visa tomorrow and I have seats on a flight leaving Monday.
Why am I not leaving on Saturday, you ask? Because there are no seats available Monday, that’s why!
Interestingly enough, even though we were back at square one on July 14th, a month after we left, August 9th is the day I had a ticket to come home from the start.

Here is where I planned to show you darling pictures of Dasha on the train, but as I am paying for internet access by the minute now, I will wait until I have access to someone else's wifi.
PLease forgive me.

Observations

2010-08-02T02:55:00.000-07:00

It is interesting to live for a time in a different country. As much as people are the same, they are also very very different.
For example:

A fifteen passenger bus/van can easily hold thirty-one people if they are willing to sardine a little.

While sitting on said sardined bus/van you become intimately acquainted with women who don't shave their pits, and occasionally, men that do. I found that last bit refreshing.

A man, wearing white pants and tight white tanktop, holding a white man-bag (think bowling bag), and bleached cornrows can still be rather masculine.

As much dirt as is here on the roads (you've seen my feet), people wear a lot of white and manage to keep it clean. Meanwhile, I am wearing dirt-brown capris most of the time and stain them regularly.

Final observation:

Dasha sure is one cute girlie!

The giggler

2010-07-30T03:45:00.000-07:00

Andy loves to make Dasha laugh on the swing.

Story time

2010-07-29T05:56:00.000-07:00

Today we read a book together. Andy thinks it's too shakey, but I think it's precious. She does this every time we read this book. I love it.

Why 10:00 am is my favorite time of the day!

2010-07-27T09:53:00.000-07:00

more of the cutie

2010-07-26T06:12:00.000-07:00

Andy and I had a great day with Dasha. Here are some pictures and the cutest video of Dasha yelling... something to her little friends across the way. The other little Dasha and Olivia wanted over where we were in the worst way.

Shoe school

2010-07-25T07:22:00.001-07:00

Since I don't get to visit Dasha on the weekends, I have no new cute photos to share. So, I thought I would have an impromptu class on proper footwear for those of you set to come to Ukraine soon.

Here goes.

Ladies, I don't care what kind of cute shoes you brought for the trip. I don't care what looks good with your court outfit. I don't care if you are a shoe snob. When you pack for Ukraine, get yourself some shoes like this:

Not like this:

Again, this:

Not this:

This:

Not this:

No flip flops, no strappies, no thongs, no spikes, no low heels, no high heels, no mid heels, no heels of any kind, no wedgies, no espadrilles, no gladiators, no fake Crocks, no high-tops, no shoes without support, no shoes unless they are for sport. In short, get yourself some very good WALKING SHOES!

In case you missed it, I recommend these, made by LandsEnd:

Of course, wearing shoes of this type bring about a whole other problem,

(this is my foot after a soak and scrub with a pumice stone, brush, and file followed by lotion. Lots of lotion.)

but nothing an excellent pedicure won't remedy once you get home!

Dasha needs no introduction, presenting...Daria Heim

2010-07-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

Court went off without a hitch. At approximately 3:00 this afternoon, Daria officially became a Heim.
Here are some precious pictures of the princess today.

She is so sweet I'm getting a sugar toothache

2010-07-22T03:20:00.001-07:00

There really is nothing else to say. She is the cutest little girl and I have been blessed beyond measure.

She's still cute!

2010-07-21T03:36:00.000-07:00

today I went to visit Dasha all by my self. I got on bus 24 which took me to the bus depot. Then I got on bus 19. I watched for the court house because I get off the bus on the next stop, then I walk about a mile to the orphanage.
I did it! No problem.
Here are some more delightful pictures of Dasha. (are there any other kind?)

Looking for the cookies.

Arm deep in the cookie bag!

Her dress had a tag today. I was not expecting to se this!

Ok, so someone tell me that Gap clothes run big!

The cookie monster

2010-07-20T03:28:00.000-07:00

The girl can pack it in! She probably had 15 cookies beyond the ones she ate in this clip. My girlfriend, Jean, keeps asking me her size. I told her 2t, but she might fit 18mos. It has been sooooooo long since I had a child this size that I really have no idea. Her clothes are no help because she keeps wearing the cutest little home made dresses.
What size is European shoe size 21?
Anyone else adopting one of these angels from #33 between the ages of 1 and 3, they are all the same size. I am serious. They are the TINIEST little people!

Darling Dasha

2010-07-19T03:03:00.001-07:00

In order to get to Dasha, I take bus 24 to the bus depot and then I get on bus 19. After 5 stops, I exit the bus, usually hitting my head on an overhead bar or the doorway, and then I walk about a half mile to the orphanage. Today, she was already outside with her groupa. She and I were allowed to go to a nearby playground, where the nannies could see me, and we got to swing and play. I brought her some animal crackers and she drank most of my water. She enjoys sitting on my lap and looking at books and she LOVES to swing. Big hint for someone to get on Scott to build a small swingset before we get home.
When I hold her, she wraps her arms around my neck and presses her cheek into mine. She was so happy to see me and I was thrilled to be with her.
More tomorrow...

Charles Spurgeon has more to share

2010-07-18T22:14:00.000-07:00

I hope this encourages you this morning as much as it did me.

Morning devotion for July 19:

The Lord our God has shown us His glory. Deuteronomy 5:24

God's great design in all His works is the manifestation of His own glory. Any aim less than this would be uworthy of Himself. But how shall the glory of God be manifested to such fallen creatures as we are? Man's eye is not single in its focus; he always has a side glance toward his own honor, has too high an estimate of his own powers, and so is not qualified to behold the glory of the Lord. It is clear, then, that self must stand out of the way, that there may be room for God to be exalted. And this is the reason why He often brings His people into straits and difficulties, that, being made conscious of thier own folly and weakness, they may be fitted to behold the majesty of God when He comes to work their deliverance. he whose life is one even and smooth path will see but little of the glory of the Lord, for he has few occasions of self-emptying and hence but little fitness for being filled with the revelation of God. They who navigate little streams and shallow creeks know but little of the God of tempests; but they who are "doing business on the great waters" see "His wondrous works in the deep." Among the huge waves of bereavement, poverty, temptation, and reproach, we learn the power of Jehovah, because we feel the littleness of man. Thank God, then, if you have been led by a rough road: It is this that has given you your experience of God's greatness and loving kindness. Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to be gained by no other means: Your trials have been the crevice of the rock in which Jehovah has set you, as He did His servant Moses, that you might behold His glory as it passed by. Praise God that you have not been left to the darkness and ignorance that continued prosperity might have involved, but that in the great fight of affliction you have been qualified for the outshinings of His glory in His wonderful dealings with you.

Dear friend, where ever you are, whatever struggles you are mired in, cling to the Father, who loves you and desires great things for you.

The Joke's on me

2010-07-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

So. Daria's name really is Daria. I thought it was really Dasha, and it is. Dasha is the nickname for Daria. That was never made clear to me until yesterday when we said what her official name was to be. Anyway, here is a brief clip of Dasha being a good little mommy to her new baby doll.

Joy comes in the morning... or the afternoon, depending

2010-07-14T05:08:00.000-07:00

What we have known for a while, but can now officially say is...

We have accepted a new referral. It wasn't official until today so I felt I should wait. Of course I recently realized that others were more optomistic (Andrea at Reece's Rainbow), so if you knew where to look, you would have had the heads up.

God sure does have a sense of humor. Scott actually said that she was too young and it took about 5 days for God to soften us up into total submission. It is a great place to be no matter how much it hurts getting there.
Anyway, her real name is not Daria! I am waiting until after court to tell you! Na Na Na Na Na Na! she will be 3 at the end of October.

Every body dance, now!

2010-07-09T12:10:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I know you guys are all hoping to hear some news, and I hope to give you some soon, but until then, enjoy this scene from Independance Square, or as we like to call it, The Fountain Steps.

The beginnings of true submission

2010-07-04T22:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you dear friends for washing us in a flood of your prayers. They have been a source of comfort that we cannot quantify.
Please know that while we have sorrow, we do not have any fear and we know that we are following God's will. I like to be in control and know exactly what the plan is. I think of the passage James 4:13-17:

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say , "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.

How does that apply? God has sent us on a mission. I pridefully believed I knew what it was. I knew some, but just like I always do, I took over and believed I was directing every step. The Lord knows what is going to happen and the steps ittakes to get there. I left no room for His real plans. We were then faced with a choice: Do we embrace God's will and trust Him when we cannot see the way, or do we continue to push for what had become OUR PLAN?
This is a very humbling position to be in. With eventual contrite hearts, we repented and we submit to the Will of the Father. We are in the center of many many unknowns. With God's help, I am resisting the urge to commandeer these next days and weeks, and rest in God's peace. Comfortable in the knowledge that we are where He wants us. Not only that, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Nastia is in His hands. How could I question that? While it is not what I would have willed, I could not dare question God's wisdom. He knows we love her, but how much greater is the love our Father has for her?

From the Charles Spurgeon devotional I read this morning:

"Seeing that we have such a God to trust, let us rest upon Him with all our weight: let us resolutely drive out all unbelief and endeavor to get rid of doubts and fears, which spoil our comfort, since there is no excuse for fear when God is the foundation of our trust. A loving parent would be sorely grieved if his child could not trust him: and how ungenerous, how unkind is our conduct when we put so little confidence in our heavenly Father, who has never failed us and who never will."

I have asked this before on this blog: Who is your Father? Don't you trust Him?"
I stand before you asking this of myself.

God is my Father. I will not fear.

Difficult news

2010-07-03T00:45:00.000-07:00

It is with a heavy heart that I report that due to insurmountable events beyond our control, we are being denied the opportunity to adopt Nastia.
It is so odd. We always knew that there was a chance we would not be able to adopt her, but we always thought that we would know that at the SDA appointment. That for some unknown reason, we would be referred a different child. Never in our wildest dreams (nightmares) did we think we would find out we couldn't adopt her after spending a week visiting twice a day, hugging, kissing, playing, falling deeper and deeper in love. It boggles our minds.
Even in this seeming tragedy, we find comfort. Nastia is healthy. healthier than we ever imagined. She is happy, smart, clever, bright. As far as orphanage institutions go, hers is very equipped. For now, these are good thlngs that we can cling to.
While we don't know what God's plan is, we choose joy. Joy in our Father, who's plans are perfect. We rejoice that He loves us and has a plan. That while in this world, there will be trouble, but we know that He has overcome the world.
Through our tears, we press on.
As you can imagine, I am reluctant to share day by day what will be happening, but know that when we have certain news, I will reveal what our future has become.
Please, continue to pray for us. Pray for Rich and Bridget who have to shepherd our children through this distressing news without us.
We thank our Father that we know with certainty that we are in His hands.

No go

2010-06-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

We didn't pass court today. The judge called it a pretrial. We go back on the 6th. A number of things came up. Please pray that all is resolved by then. That's all I'm at liberty to say right now.
Also, there was somehow a question with the homestudy again so CIS has not yet given the approval. Please pray for quick resolution for this problem. I thought it had been resolved already. Clearly I was wrong.
Nastia, as always, is a delight. We are deeper in love with her every day.

We got a connection today!

2010-06-27T04:51:00.000-07:00

No connection yesterday, but we are on today. Before yesterday's update, a brief word about the mosquitos.
Yes, mosquitos. They absolutely LOVE me. We camp regularly and I don't get this many bites a season. I currently have 8 fresh bites on my right leg alone. And that's with bug spray!
In Twilight terms, I am Bella to their Edward. It seems my blood is their own personal brand of heroin. I am not kidding. We think Scott may have gotten one bite, but I think he is just trying to make me feel better.
It is maddness.
So when you come here to pick up your child, and you know you will be, bring bug repellant!!!

We are back at our favorite internet restaurant. Well, the only internet restaurant.
Things are going well. Nastia continues to be a delight. She is happy to see us. She is engaging and happy. While it is a long time to be here, the twice daily visits can only benefit her transition to us. We bring the same toys, holding some back in our room for the move to Kiev as well as the plane ride home.
We have had lots of excitement. The judge we were assigned to was going on vacation so we were given a court date of July 15th. This date was not going to work. (Understatement of the year. Scott leaves for home on the 8th.) We petitioned to be assigned to a new judge due to the obvious extenuating circumstances, and after a tense hour, it was granted. We still had some concern because we had not been given a date and were told to call at 2pm. The court offices were closing at 2 and Monday was a holiday. If we didn't hear by 2, we wouldn't know until Tuesday, and we were hoping for a Wednesday the 30th court date. We spent about 2.5-3 hours at this very restaurant, using the interenet and waiting to hear. Just shy of 2pm Sasha called the office and we were granted a court date on the 30th. We were so happy.
Now we wait for Wednesday and continue our visits with Nastia. We are praying for some miracles to happen in court and would value your prayers in this area. Have no fear, we are not worried about passing, we are just hoping for a truncated stay.
As always, we value your prayers and hope you are as entranced with Nastia's story as we are.

We got on line!!!

2010-06-25T03:17:00.000-07:00

Today is Friday. We continue struggling to get any internet service. I am typing this in a very nice hotel that offers WiFi. They need to reset their system but we are unable to suggest this. I was able to post something I had typed ahead of time and then it went out. I don't know if you got 1 picture or two, but either way, it is obvious how cute she is.
We have visited her for 3 days now. The first visit for an hour went well and she was very excited to spend time with us. Durring the second visit we got to see a little more of her personality. We played with balloons and bubbles and we gave her a doll. We also read some books. Her favorite toy by far was a ball. It is clear and has little tiny colored balls inside it that swirl around when it rolls around. Her squeals of delight were awesome to hear. When it was time to leave she was clearly disturbed that we were packing up. She decided that if the visit was going to end it would end on her terms. She picked up her doll and started walking to the building without us. We were left trailing behind, jogging to catch up. When she got to the door she became very upset. It was locked. I watched the realization wash over here. If we were obviously leaving, she didn't belong with us and if the door back to her world were locked, where did she belong?
Big sobs and rolling tears burst forth. It was more than she could comprehend. I was able to hold her and carry her back down to a bench outside while Scott went in search of her group. It took about 5 minutes for him to locate them and come back to us. In the mean time, I was able to comfort her and she sat on my lap while we waited. We reunited her with her group and left for the afternoon.
The next day she was again delighted to see us and as we repeat the pattern, it is obvious to her that we aren't going anywhere and that we are there for HER. In Ethiopia, the children were welcome to come and spend time with any family who came to the orphanage, reguardless if they were the ones being visited. Here it is not that way. They don't want the children to get their hopes up. The children look over the hedge or across the playground with such desire in their eyes that it breaks my heart. If we pass them on the walkway they reach out their hands and eyes for the slightest touch or smallest smile given just to them. It is so little that we are able to give to them. A furtive touch, a wink and a smile, but most importantly, constant prayers that more families will step forward embrace them.
I know that the judge will ask why we want to adopt a child with HIV. Why her? I can only reply that every child deserves a family. Her health status doesn't preclude her from needing and wanting a home. We can't be every child's famliy, but by God's grace and the court's permission, we can be hers.
Thank you so much for your prayers while we are here. Being in Kiev was like being in Chicago. Now being here in Slaviansk region, we are truly back in time. The pace is slower, life is more simple. You buy food for a day, maybe two. The children pick cherries off the trees to eat with lunch and dinner, the hotel turns the water off in the afternoon. Our hotel has a fabulous menu. Most items are not available, but the items we do order are gourmet and served with pride.

How it's going. Finally.

2010-06-23T03:38:00.000-07:00

It is a little challenging getting an internet connection so it's been a few days. I wrote this yesterday.

The driver came, we made our train, and our daughter had been moved to another orphanage so the ride was only 12 hours instead of 14, we were picked up at the village station and we were brought to meet our daughter.
She wasn't there.
No worries, she was just out receiving routine blood work. We did some paperwork and came back to meet her.
We only got to spend about 10 minutes with her that first day, but oh, how precious they were. She is quite the character. Besides the 4 of us, Scott, Sveta, our facilitator and I, there were 5 of the official orphanage people standing around watching. She had a bashful grin and held her head down, but she look up through her eyelashes with the biggest smile and the deepest dimples. We gave her a sucker, which went over big, and pulled out some bubbles. She realized right away that they were for her. She sidled up to Scott, gently reached out her hand, took the bubbles, and giggling, skittered back over to her teacher. That's the entirety of our first visit, but that's all it took. WE ARE IN LOVE!
The rest of the day was full of driving and paperwork and waiting for the paperwork to be finished. We spent nearly 10 hours in and out of the car doing these things. While we got to sleep on the train, our facilitator, Sasha, took the bus for nearly as many hours to meet us at the train, and she was the one who had to make sure all the paper work was correct. She also had to find us decent housing. We ended up in a hotel instead of an apartment. We don't have internet, but the price is fantastic and there is an excellent restaurant attached. This was the location of our next big adventure.
Because we knew Sasha was so tired, we didn't want to bother her just to help us with dinner. We brought our Russian/English dictionary along and figured, how hard can it be? Well, a little more difficult than we imagined. We are pretty sure the menus are in Ukrainian, not Russian. None of the words matched up. Our waiter, bless his heart, is so cute. I'm sure he thinks he is a tough guy, we've seen him in army boots and camo pants and a no-sleeved t-shirt for the band RUSH (written in Russian, of course), but in spite of all that, he is super sweet. He was so earnest to help us figure out what to order. He knew about 4 words in English and all we can say is thank you, but he flipped through our dictionary and we settled on a meal. We shared 1/2 a chicken and ordered 3 different kinds of potatoes. (Can’t go wrong with potatoes, and boy, were they delicious!) Naturally Sasha showed up after that, but we were satisfied with how things were going so far. She told us what everything on the menu was and we wrote down all the things we like. Problem solved.
We collapsed into bed, eager to get up the next day to go see Nastia. This is the nick name for Anastasia, and what everyone calls her. It's pronounced like NA-stia. So cute!
We get to see her twice a day. For 1 hour before lunch, and for 2 hours starting at 4:00 pm. Now I can tell you what she is really like:
She is truly a delight. Sharp as a tack. Quite obviously smart and funny and comfortable with herself. She is only a little shy, just enough to let us know that she is discerning about who she goes to. She is happy to see us and likes the different surprises we have to share. So far we have played with balloons and a ballerina doll. She has also seen the picture album we made her showing the family, house, and pets. We call ourselves Mama and Papa, and she is starting to make the connection. Yesterday she asked if we were going to come back to see her and if she could go with us. The other children realize what is going on and are happy for her. You can see that they hope it will be their turn next. How I pray that more families will come and welcome these precious children into their hearts. They are beautiful, and yearning and deserving of a family.
We took many pictures, she is quite the ham for the camera, and she also figured out right away how to charm the camera from Papa! She is thrilled to see herself in the screen.
When our hour was up, we brought her back to her caregiver. She has her own locker where she immediately placed her shoes, and she ran to talk to her friends. Quickly though, she turned, ran back, and gave Sveta a hug. So sweet.
We now know which bus to take, #7, 4 stops and then we get off and walk to the orphanage. We will make this afternoon trip alone. I think we will do fine.
Here are some pictures of our visit this morning.

quick update

2010-06-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here's what's happening:
On Thursday, a revised and DCFS approved homestudy was sent to CIS. Another copy was given to my friend Melinda, who took it downtown for an appostille, then she FedExed it to Ukraine. We expect it Wednesday. There was some additional concern about the way that document was notarized, but we have been assured that it should be acceptable. That is the best reassurance I can get, so we're going with it.
The driver is here.
Gotta go!
Baby here we come

Blessings and Challenges

2010-06-17T01:50:00.000-07:00

Every adoption is filled with blessings and challenges. We are blessed to obey God and have the honor to parent the children He has chosen for us. We are challenged to rest in His peace when we don't understand delays and seeming missteps that hamper progress in our minds. You have followed as I waited for my homestudy, for my i171h approval, and most recently, my SDA appointment.
These milestones were eventually reached and the day for travel finally arrived. Our dear friends, Tim and Cindy Allen were able to travel with us and we had a fabulous breakfast at the Cracker Barrel with the children we were leaving behind, the Kocis family, who would be watching them, and my friend Jean and her 3 kids. We were quite the crew.
We got back to the house 20 minutes before our limo was scheduled to arrive. There was a message on the answering machine. It was my Reece's Rainbow representative informing me we had a problem, please call. It turns out our homestudy contained an inacuracy that not only needed to be corrected, but this caused our i171h to be invalid as well. We needed a homestudy correction, which would require new DCFS approval as well as an adjusted i171h. The homestudy would need to be submitted to DCFS, who would have to issue an approval letter. The homestudy would need to recieve an appostille from the downtown Chicago office and then Fedexed to Ukraine. Shipping takes 4-6 days and we need to recieve it prior to court, which we believe might be the 25th. The homestudy, along with the approval letter, would need to be resubmitted to USCIS so they can issue a new visa approval.
How do I do this in the next 20 minutes?
I called my homestudy agency and explained exactly what needed to be done. I called DCFS and explained to them what had happened and what needed to be done. I emailed USCIS and told them what had happened and what we needed them to do as well.
Jean and Bridget quickly morphed from the friends who were saying goodby and watching my children to my correction team. This team now includes Melinda, who is the friend who will be doing all the downtown work.
The limo arrived and we left.
The flights were uneventful, very minor turbulance and a 2 hour delay in Frankfurt, nothing too bad. We ushered the Allens through customs and left them in the hands of their driver.
Our driver, Nickoli, escorted us to our appartment and we collapsed. We did not yet have internet access. Shout out to Blackberry and Verizon. I have no idea what we will be paying in roaming fees, but I was able to continue to stay in contact with my team and push for some key calls to be made for me. It is my understanding that Thursday my corrected and approved homestudy will be in Melinda's hands. It will be hand delivered to USCIS in Chicago and on a FedEx plane by Friday evening.
Meanwhile, we had our SDA appointment and got to see more pictures of our precious daughter. These pictures were close-ups and revealed the most beautiful blue eyes!. Pray for our baby, she has aged out of the baby house and has been moved to another location. We are assured that she is in a nice place. Change is always difficult and I hope she is doing well.
The woman in the SDA office asked why we would adopt a child with HIV. We explained why and that we were honored to do it, and she asked if we could please find more families who would come and give these children hope and a family.
She also said that the previous day she had an appointment with a family with 14 adopted children, so our 6 were really not so many, would she be seeing us again?
We told her we knew we only had 6 and that we were working on it and we hope to incourage more families to come to Ukraine for these precious children.
For some reason the orphanage is closed this Friday, and is always closed Saturday and Sunday, so we will stay in our appartment in Kiev until Sunday night. We will take a night train 14 hours to the town where Bianca is and meet her on Monday. I had hoped to see her sooner, but am not anxious about it in any way.

It has been precious to watch Sveta here in the appartment. I told her it is exactly like the appartments we stayed in while in Russia and everyone we have encountered speaks Russian. Starting in Frankfurt, the airline personel spoke to her in Russian assuming that she spoke Russian because of how she looks. She is old enough to appreciate this trip, but young enough to pretend she lives here. She is living out a glimpse of what her life could have been. These days are invaluable for her and I thank God for this opportunity.
That's all for now, and since we have a little time on our hands, we may get ticktets to the opera or the circus. Sveta is very excited about that.
More later,
Traci

Leaving soon

2010-06-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

We have a ritual here at the Heim house. As the day of our trip comes closer, I call or text Cindy Allen and say,
"Five Days!"
"Four Days!"
"Three Days!"
"Two Days!"
and finally we are poised to scream:
ONE DAY!!!

I can't believe we are finally breathing down the neck of one day.
I woke up yesterday morning and realized that my baby doesn't have a doll of her own. Andy and I went to Target to get her one. I nearly started crying as I debated between 2 dolls and decided that she can have them both!!

Please pray for us. Pray for me. I have never been away from my family for more than a weekend. I am not scared, in fact, I am eager, I feel like God has made a date with me and He and I will be spending a lot of time together talking and planning.
My dear friend Bridget is taking the bulk of childcare while I am gone and I really appreciate it. In the past, we have only left for a week at a time, we could leave a little money and pick up where we left off. Scott will be gone for nearly a month and I will be gone for 2. I had to make a folder to hold bills and payment, insurance information, money, baseball schedules, emergency back up numbers of friends willing to help out in a pinch, etc. I have titled it "Bridget's folder of all things Heim."
I think I hit the high spots, but she will email and skype with questions.
So, starting at midnight,
"One Day!"

A little perspective

2010-06-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

When you adopt a child, there is always that uncomfortable moment when that four letter word "cost", comes up.
How much did she "cost".
Any you gently explain that you didn't spend your first hours with your child with a bottle of goo-gone in one hand while briskly rubbing the price tag sticky off with the other.
But, why does it cost so much? These kids have nothing, why are they charging you?
Completely forgetting all of the very reasonable places the money is really spent.
Air line tickets
finger prints
FedEx
Homestudy
government papers
government papers
government papers
foreign government papers
foreign government papers
foreign government papers
court costs
foreign court costs
hotel
and at the bottom of the list- orphanage fee (this helps keep the orphanage running for the million other children still waiting.

And still people don't understand it.

I read this on a blog today, she took if from someone else's blog, and I have blatantly snatched it from hers.
No matter, it perfectly puts the cost into perspective.

A wise person once told us as we were lamenting the cost, that we were not “buying children”, that we could not look at it that way. We had to look at the cost of adoption as “ransom.”
Think about it. Anyone of us would give up everything we had if one of our children currently in our home were held for ransom. We would pay whatever it took. Family would join in, friends would join in, strangers would line up to help. No one would think “well that kid deserves being held for ransom because of XYZ” … the thought is terrifying.

Look at adoption costs the same way. You are potentially stealing the future away from these children. But in a good way. There is a child being born in the US right now who needs a family so they do not grow up without hope! There is a child living in an orphanage where they share a 10x12 room with 15 other children at night who needs your help! There is an HIV positive child in a far away land who if they could only make it to the US would live a long and happy life because of all the breakthrough medicine. There is an older child that once they are aged out of the system will surely be forced into prostitution! Pay the ransom for these children, please … I humbly beg of you."

I would add that this goes hand in hand with the true "cost" of adoption- our lives for hers.
Jesus paid the ransom for us, and we must pay the ransom for these children.

I have a date!!!

2010-05-31T19:41:00.000-07:00

It is official! My very wonderful Ukraine team, Meredith, McKenna and Chris, not to mention Andrea Roberts, all emailed me on this holiday to tell me that my SDA appointment date is June 17th. Not only that, but I sent an email to Golden Rule Travel just to let them know I would need to order tickets, expecting to be contacted tomorrow, but a super nice lady named Shawnna emailed me for some information and eventually called me.
I have already purchased tickets!
On a holiday!
When the office is closed!
She was worried that with only 2 weeks before the flight seats would be difficult to secure so she did it today!
And even on top of that, we will be leaving on the same flight with my dear friends Tim and Cindy Allen, who are adopting 8 year old Irena!
Seriously!
Every sentence needs an exclamation point!
I AM THAT EXCITED!!!!!

I have awesome friends, but first, a little house keeping

2010-05-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

I have received news that the family who were trying to adopt the 3 girls, 15,11 and 5, are unable to bring them home. I have not been told why, and my heart is still breaking for these girls. I thank you for your love, prayer and generosity for these girls who desperately need a home.
If you think you might know of a family, please contact me. They would need to move fast! It would be difficult but not impossible to do. I know who my Father is, and he can move mountains.

Moving on, I just want to share with you what awesome friends I have. This weekend, Bridget and Cindy threw a surprise adoption shower for me.
I
HAD
NO
IDEA

Really, I hadn't showered and I was wearing a hat to hide my bed head. I was overwhelmed. The joy and generosity from all the ladies there blew me away! Well, actually, there was one man there, Shane Lewis, you are a very comfortable person. He had no problem being immersed in so much estrogen. You my friend, are brave. I didn't notice if you cried.
I was showered with children's books and gift cards.
So beautiful.
Unlike me.
Seriously.
A hat.
I bought it for airplane head. I guess it works for bed head too. I just really would have taken a shower.

If the Gospel really is Adoption

2010-05-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

This was said at CAFO. Adoption is not the gospel, but the gospel is adoption. That is a beautiful sentiment.

Is it true?

Is the gospel adoption?

Let's see. What is the gospel?

In a previous post I said the gospel was:

Through the death and resurection of Jesus, we have been adopted into God's family. THAT'S THE GOSPEL.

Here are the dictionary results for gospel and redeem according to the theological definition of each.

Gospel:
(theology) The proclamation of the redemption preached by Jesus and the Apostles, which is the central content of Christian revelation.

redeem:
(Theology) to deliver from sin and its consequences by means of a sacrifice offered for the sinner.

So can we agree that Jesus redeemed us through his DEATH.

Literally HIS life for OURS.

So how do we apply this concept to our adoptions? To us as adoptive parents? If we really believe that The Holy Spirit has "called" us to the adoption of our children, then literally, these adoptions are OUR lives for those of our children. The DEATH of our lives, a sacrifice offered to redeem these children.

Our old lives are gone. They no longer exist. they have been sacrificed to redeem our children.
We don't get it back.
It has been forfeit for the needs of our children.

This is what we have done by saying YES to the Holy Spirit's call.

DO WE REALLY UNDERSTAND THIS?

We hear an aweful lot about how really we are the ones who have been blessed and saved, (to include my own voice) and it is true. I have been immeasurably blessed by the adoptions of my children.
Unfortunately it seems such focus has been put on the residual blessings reaped from adoption, that the true cost is never evaluated.
Well, at least not until we look around and we realize that HEY, where are all of MY residual blessings. I'm not seeing any, and actually, this is really not great. In fact, it's kind of horrifying!

I DID NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS!!!!

I don't feel safe in my own home. He doesn't love me, much less appreciate me. True, her life was a full on horror prior to living with me, but I've chosen her. I've redeemed her. I have given him a better life. I can't possibly stave the tide of limitless need.
If this is how it is going to be, I take it back.
I won't pay the price.

Is this our gospel?

Jesus begged for the cup to be passed from him, but submitted His will to that of His Father.
This is what has redeemed us.

What has redeemed our children?
Our life if it doesn't hurt too much.
If it doesn't cost too much.
As long as the blessings out weigh the stresses, I am in.
I hear you Lord. I will do what you say as long as you provide enough money that I don't have to sacrifice what I already have.
If I am blessed with smooth transitions and children who fill my love tank.

This is not what I want to base my obedience on.
I can do nothing.
Only the Holy Spirit in me achieves anything of value. Unless he redeems our children through us, there will be no redemption.

I stand on the brink of another adoption. Some may say the "riskiest one yet".

I know her name.
I know her birthdate.
I know she has HIV.
I know nothing else.

The Holy Spirit has impressed upon us the need to be her family. He is not just asking for our time and our money. He is seeking once again to redeem a child;
our lives for hers.

I do not know what the future holds.
Will she love us?
Is she autistic?
Will she have reactive attachment disorder?
Will she be out of control?
Will she die?

Do I really understand that this is what it means to give up our lives for hers? That I am saying "YES" to these unknowns.
With HIS help we are embracing all of it, knowing that there is not promise of any blessing from this act of obedience other than the hope that one day we will here these words: Well done good and faithful servant!
(Matthew 25:23)

Oh Lord, give us strength.

How to help

2010-05-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

In my last post I asked for assistance for an adoptive famiy.
Tax deductible funds can be sent to:
Beyond the Cross
C/O Fisrt Assembly of God
1608 N. Oak St
Rolla, MO 65401

Please indicate that funds are for the Inman family. You will recieve a receipt for your taxes.

In the unfortunate event that this adoption fails to happen, the funds would be placed in an account for Artem, the boy I featured earlier.

My prayer is that this does not fail. That we, God's people, rise up as his hands and feet and do what we can, give funds, so that this precious child is rescued from her dark future.
read about her at http://russianorphanlighthouseproject.blogspot.com/2010/05/teetering-at-precipice.html

Thank you.

Can you help?

2010-05-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

"Their church thinks they don't need more children, plus it is a very
small church, so there is not much help likely to come from there."

This quote comes directly from correspondence between me and a woman desperately seeking funds for a family racing against the clock to bring home a Russian child who will turn 16 in four short months. In addition to this desperate girl, they seek to adopt her 11 year old aunt (yes, aunt) and Yuliana, the HIV+ girl I wrote about recently.
I was contacted to see if I knew of any resources (money) that this family could take advantage of. I suggested a number of grant funds, but I asked if they had approached their church for assistance. I said that unfortunately, the church can be hit or miss, but when it was a hit, it was a beautiful thing.

It did not turn out to be a beautiful thing.

Why?

Why does it seem that the one place that it most definitely should not be about self, reacts in a way that turns a full-on need into some one's frivolous desire?

"Their church thinks they don't need more children... there is not much help likely to come from there."

A child is months from the streets, but this family doesn't "need" more children.

They are right.

This family does not "need" more children, but there are children who sure do NEED this family!!!

Please, I am begging.
IF you have anything you can give, anything at all, please contact me.

THIS GIRL HAS NO TIME.
DOESN'T ANYONE UNDERSTAND?
SHE WILL BE ON THE STREET IN FOUR MONTHS.
SELLING HERSELF TO SURVIVE.
SHE IS AN ORPHAN AND COUNTS FOR NOTHING IN RUSSIA.

but this family doesn't need more children.

My heart is broken.

It has happened!

2010-05-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, I received the exciting news that, yes, my dossier was submitted. I can expect a travel date within 2 weeks.
The very real fact that I have a daughter waiting for me just got real-er.
I was at CAFO when I got the email. CAFO is Christian Alliance for Orphans, Summit VI. It was a very powerful place to be. It really put adoption into perspective. They said that adoption was not the gospel, but the gospel was adoption. Through the death and resurection of Jesus, we have been adopted into God's family. THAT'S THE GOSPEL.
Many excellent contacts were made, I hope to tell you about some exciting happenings soon.
I was also interviewed for a documentary. I don't know any details about it, but it was a new experience to be filmed offering any deep thoughts about adoption. She asked me 3 questions and I cried while answering 2 of them. Well teared up during the first question, and really blubbered durring the third.
In the third question, she asked me to explain what "It's not about me" meant. This is what the Project HOPEFUL shirts say.
I told her that when a person is adopting, everyone always consoles them about the long wait, any delays, and just how frustrating the whole process can be. While not denying that those things are true, I said that it's not about MY wait. I can wait as long as it takes. While I wait, I have a home, a family, a warm bed, all the food I need or want, money to buy what I don't have, and a family who loves me.
I can wait.
What cannot wait is my daughter. While she waits, she is sick. She is hungry. She is alone. She doesn't know that she is loved.
So, it is not about ME. It is about HER.

IT'S ABOUT HER AND ALL THE CHILDREN JUST LIKE HER.

WAITING

YEARNING

WANTING

NEEDING...

someone like you to show them the gospel, what it means to be redeemed and welcomed into a family just like we have been welcomed into God's family.

And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
Romans 8:22-24

I-pod touch!!! Help unite a family!

2010-04-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

My friend Melinda and I are trying to raise some fast cash for a friend. Here is the blog post snatched right off of Carolyn's hi-jacked blog.
Join us as we spit in satan's eye and be a part of reuniting Salah with her older brother and sister.

i-Pod Touch deposit $10 in Salah's Red house fund

How would you like to have an ipod touch? This is Carolyn's friend again posting this. She is not cooperating on taking any help and does not want to ask for any help, so a couple of her friends have decided to take it into our own hands. We have purchased an 8G i-Pod touch to give for the Twiet's travel cost's. For only $10 you get your name entered for a chance to win this. The more you donate, the better chance you have to win!!! I own an i-pod touch and it is wonderful. I use it every day, lot's of fun! Come on everyone, let's get this money raised for this awesome family! We will keep the opportunity open for one week. Drawing will be held next Sunday by 5pm central time. Winner will be announced that night and I will send out an email for address confirmation for shipping. Use the donate button on the right of the page to go and donate now. Please pass the word along on your facebook or blog. Thank you all for reading!

You can click on the Project Hopeful donate button on my blog. In the notes, specify Ipod drawing!
Thanks.

one of those days

2010-04-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

I'm having one of those days. The ones where nothing is wrong but nothing is right either. I can't write about it specifically because that would be wrong too.
I'll get through it, and hopefully in a Godly manner eventually, so how about I encourage you today? It will apply to me as well.

These are some notes I took from the message at church this Sunday.

The passage was 2 Corinthians 4:1-7
1 God, with his mercy, gave us this work to do, so we don't give up.2 But we have turned away from secret and shameful ways. We use no trickery, and we do not change the teaching of God. We teach the truth plainly, showing everyone who we are. Then they can know in their hearts what kind of people we are in God's sight.3 If the Good News that we preach is hidden, it is hidden only to those who are lost.4 The devil who rules this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. They cannot see the light of the Good News—the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is exactly like God.5 We do not preach about ourselves, but we preach that Jesus Christ is Lord and that we are your servants for Jesus.6 God once said, "Let the light shine out of the darkness!" This is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts by letting us know the glory of God that is in the face of Christ.
7 We have this treasure from God, but we are like clay jars that hold the treasure. This shows that the great power is from God, not from us.

It was pointed out that we become weary of the work we are placed here to do, but this passage encourages us to not give up. I think we become weary when we think we are the ones working. we can't forget that any thing of value that we have done is really God working through us. If we know that He is doing good, how can we become weary? We are to live out the gospel in the world. We are to do good to all people, not just our Christian brothers and sisters.
Friends, what is God trying to do through you? Are you submitting to it? If not, why not? Are you afraid? How can that be? Isn't God your father, and if so, what are you afraid of?

I encourage you today to live out the gospel in the world- right where you are.

Drum Roll Please

2010-04-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to announce that:

THE DOSSIER IS ON IT'S WAY TO UKRAINE!!!!!!!!

I sent it FedEx yesterday and it won't arrive until Monday the 19th. I will keep you posted about travel dates and such. I don't know those details yet.

We are coming Baby!

Quandary

2010-04-07T08:01:00.000-07:00

I have not left for Ukraine yet.
According to Traci the travel agent, tickets should have been purchased and used by now. My precious daughter should be in my arms learning to understand that in fact someone does love her. A whole family loves her. 7 people exist who yearn to hold her.
Unfortunately, Traci the travel agent has no real authority. The One in charge has said not yet.
This is the quandry. How to rest in God's peace and in his perfect plan and reconcile the surface reason for all the delays.
It appears that my file at CIS is not being delt with right now. It has turned into "The Money Pit". Every time I enquire about when I can expect to receive the I171H, I am told, "two weeks."
Meanwhile, half of my dossier will expire within those "2 weeks". In order to correct that, yesterday I went to the court house for new marriage certificates, went to Illinois State Police office for a new background check. I was told "2 weeks" there as well. My unstoppable pitiful and silent crying as I filled out the form and wrote the check created such empathy in the clerk's heart that she processed my request immediately and Scott will pick this form up today. This morning at 7:30am, Scott and I had fasting blood work drawn because the medicals will also expire withing those same "2 weeks". This afternoon we go back to the doctor for a cursory physical.
This leaves the elusive I171H. I have made an infopass appointment for Tuesday the 13th to get to the bottom of why I do not have this form.
I do know it will come and she will come home.
We appreciate your prayers!

What does it look like to be God's Hands and feet?

2010-03-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of 5 moms who helped at this weekend's resale. They represent 20 adopted children. Isn't that awesome?

Be God's hands and feet. That's something we've all heard before, but what does it really mean? Many times it is used when talking about doing something grand like being a missionary in some far off land, or donating some huge amount of money to a good cause. This weekend, I saw people actually being His hands and feet and we didn't leave Joliet.
My dear friend Cindy and her husband are persuing the adoption of an 8 year old HIV+ girl named Irena who lives in Ukraine. They have stepped out in faith to be her family and bring her home. How is it stepping out in faith to bring her home? The day they said yes, they did so knowing that they had 0 of the $27,000+ that they need in order to make it happen. You see, they are opperating under the impression that if it is HIS WILL IT IS HIS BILL. That's right, God is never going to ask you to do something and not provide the way to do it.
This weekend, we saw God make good on this promise.
Tim and Cindy had a rummage sale. In three weeks time, they sent out a mass email asking their friends to donate any items they no longer needed. Her church, Harvest Bible Chapel Joliet, donated the use of their gym to hold the sale. Many, Many friends dedicated their time helping organize, lable, paint signs, handle the check-out process, baby sit children, boil hotdogs for hungry workers, deliver large items that had been purchased, etc.
It was awesome. In 2 days, the sale generated over $4000, an ammount we hope will be matched by a grant from Lifesong.
This is what it looks like to be His hands and feet. It is seeing a need and meeting that need. Meeting this need here, helping with this sale, meets a need far away, Irena needs a loving family and a home.
In about 3 weeks, everything that didn't sell at this sale will be used at another sale in Mokena. This one will be to benefit the Kocis family. They are seeking to adopt a sibling group of 3 from Ethiopia. Her future 16ish year old son has a prosthetic leg and hearing loss. He also has 2 younger sisters, aged 12 and 9. They also need a loving family and a home. The Kocis family needs about $30,000 to make it happen. The sale after that will be in Crown Point, Indiana, to benefit the Lewis family who hope to adopt 4 HIV+ girls from Ukraine, and so it goes.
These families adopting these children, these friends donating items and working at these events, this is what it looks like to be God's hands and feet!

If you live in the South Suburbs of Chicago and feel your hands and feet itching to work, contact me to donate items for the resale, or if you just want to donate some money, I can tell you where to send that as well.

Something to pray about

2010-03-18T19:29:00.000-07:00

I had opportunity to make a new contact today. Her name is Becky and she works with the Russian Orphan Lighthouse Project. They regularly arrange trips for older Russian children to connect with American families who wish to adopt them. The recent H1N1 epidemic has temporarily halted the children's trips here, so Americans are traveling to Moscow to meet and spend time with the children. At the last minute, these children were added to Becky's list of children to place. They are the first HIV+ children she has been asked to assist, so she contacted Project Hopeful for some education and assistance. I was able to provide her with helpful information and she asked if there was anything else I could do.
It is my pleasure to share these deserving children with you. Will you join me in prayer and help advocate for them?

Meet Yuliana (girl) and Artem (boy). They are 5 and a half year old orphans from Russia. They are not twins, but are available to be placed together and are both HIV+. Aside from this health issue, they have no delays and are otherwise as healthy as can be expected.
They are yearning for a family.
If you have a passport and immediate time off, you could go to Moscow to meet them this March 25th through the 31st.

I am not kidding.

You can go.

NOW!

The cost of this first trip would be not more than $1600. I have included information from their flier at the bottom of this email.

I know it's short notice, but I also know we have a mighty Heavenly Father who delights in the unanticipated. What is miraculous to us is commonplace to Him.

I am not the only one advocating for these children. The team of people praying strongly believe that someone will step forward in the next 24 hours so they could make this March trip. If this doesn't happen, there will be a trip in June.
Contact me or Becky- her information is below.
What ever is on your heart, please be praying for these lovely children who need a family.

*****************************************************
This March, visit Russia and spend time with a Russian orphan! Travelers will choose a child, fly to Russia as a group, meet and spend time with the child in Moscow, sightsee together, and decide whether to pursue the child’s adoption. Travelers not interested in adoption are welcome to join us. Single boys and girls, ages 7-14, and sibling groups, ages 6-15, are available. The Lighthouse Project will arrange transportation in Russia, lodging, activities, and most meals. Sightseeing plans include Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral, and other culturally appropriate activities. Cost depends on which lodging option is selected, but ranges between $1250-1550 per person, including airfare, assuming double occupancy. This is more cost-efficient than making a “first trip” to visit a child in the standard, two-trip adoption procedure. Basic paperwork includes an application and a statewide background check. Those deciding to adopt will complete the requisite paperwork in the US, returning to Russia to finish their adoption in one trip six to nine months later. For more information, please contact trip coordinator Becky De Nooy at (616) 245-3216, or visit www.lhproject.com or www.RussianOrphanLighthouseProject.blogspot.com.

Visitors (also known as "The Madness Continues")

2010-03-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

So we have some baby chickens. Only for one more day. They were visitors for a week. We hatched eggs at Classical Conversations.
It is a bit more madness, but really, who gets to have baby chickens?
Just another benefit of home school.

It kind of snuck up on me!

2010-03-05T14:36:00.000-08:00

How did it happen?
This is certainly not something I planned.
Even my mom is shocked.
I woke up one morning to discover that I live in a zoo.
Not my kids behave like animals and this feels like a zoo.
An actual zoo.
Actually, it could be called a Rodent zoo.
It all started with a cat. For a very long time it was only the cat. Cats are normal. No one blinks at a cat.
Then we got a bird.
Still doing ok. It is a hand fed cockatiel. She is beautiful and funny and steals your breakfast. (it seems a little canibalistic that she likes eggs...)
Ok, some people are a little creeped out by birds, but still within the bounds of normal.
Enter the hamsters.
They are small- Russian dwarf hamsters, but there are four of them. And one got loose. And we have not yet apprehended the renegade rodent. And it has been replaced, so tecnically 5 hamsters, but only 4 are accounted for.
And then...

Bunnies.

Two bunnies.

I don't even pretend that they belong to the kids. They are mine. Well, mine and Scott's.

We love them. They are named Butterscotch and Smokey. They are soft and cute and have a hard time hopping on the wood floors and sure they are little poop machines but they sure do make me smile so that means there are 8 maybe 9 pets in the house. That is not so bad is it?

MEL is SIX!

2010-02-25T15:01:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? My little guy is SIX!!!
He was out in the yard snowboarding with his brother when I snapped this picture. We don't really have a hill, just a mound that the kids shoveled, but they are having fun.

testing the love

2010-02-22T06:39:00.000-08:00

Attachment and bonding are ongoing experiences. Trials come and go, and just about the time it seems things are settling nicely, someone decides to "test the love."

Here's what that looks like:
As you know, we home school. It does not come naturally to me, but we are plugging through. I have finally mastered not just telling the kids the answer they want, but instead I ask leading questions to help them figure it out themselves. Nobody really likes that, they just want me to tell them the answer. Especially Hanna.
Lest you think I am expecting too much of her, before I begin you need to understand that she can identify and knows the functions of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. She can identify prepositions and prepositional phrases and can tell you what the object of the preposition is. As much as she wishes I believed it, she is no shlub when it comes to school.
We were working on a sentence:

The puppy, a beagle, has been barking since she left.

"Mom, what's a beagle?"
Good question. I believe she doesn't know what a beagle is. She knows dog and puppy, but certainly not breeds.
Instead of telling her, I started asking questions.
What is happening in this sentence?
The puppy is barking since she left.
that's right, what kind of word do you think beagle is?
It is a noun?
Yes, it's a noun. So what is a noun? It's a person, place or thing.
That's right. So from this sentence, you should be able to make a guess about what a beagle is.
(At this point, she is frustrated that I am making her think, why won't I just tell her the answer.)
So, what do you think a beagle is?
The puppy is beagling?
What?
Why would you even say that? Why would you use the word like a verb when you know it is an noun? What question are you answering?
She starts to lay on the "I don't know anything, how could I, I am new here. I don't know what a beagle is. I don't understand anything in this new country...)
When she first came home a year ago, she did the same thing, but she really didn't have much English at all, and even then, I got the feeling it was an act. I always told Scott that is seemed like she was "putting on" more often than she really didn't understand. At that time, I gave her the benefit of the doubt. Since then, we have come to the knowledge that She really does not want to learn. She doesn't see its value and doesn't understand why it is so important to us. She is angry that we don't just indulge her every whim, and let her do what ever she pleases. this reality that she is living doesn't measure up to her "dream family".
She digs in here. If I am not going to tell her the answer, she is not going to tell me the answer.
I ask her where do we find out what words mean when we don't know what they are?
You look in da book. (snarl)
What book?
A dictionary.
Ok, go get it.

I have never had her use a dictionary, didn't even know she knew what it was, much less how to use it. She proceeds to look up the word.
I found it.
Ok, read it to me.
Beagle: a small breed of hunting dog that has short legs.
So in one word, tell me what a beagle is.
it is a hunting dog.
Yes, use one word.
Hunting.
no. different word.
a breed?
no.
A small?
no.
A short?
no.
Legs?
no. (are you kidding me? she WILL NOT TELL ME IT IS A DOG!!!)

I sent her to her room. I told her to come out when she would tell me what a beagle was.
She tried to squeeze out some tears and say she really didn't know, but she is not that good of an actress and failed to produce any. Biruk was sitting next to her and he was practically climbing out of his skin he was so disgusted.
After 5 minutes, I went up and asked her if she was ready to tell me what it is. No mom, I really don't know.
Look in my eyes and tell me that because I know you are way smarter than that. She couldn't look at me and say it.
I told her I didn't understand why this is the road she was deciding to go down, but if it was really what she was going to choose, I would go all the way with her. She didn't back down, would not tell me that a beagle was a dog, and she lost the few privileges she has. She is back to only being able to do school work for entertainment. She can watch no movies, the only thing on her mp3 player is memory work, and even when we are at other people's houses, she can't join her friends if they are watching a movie.
The reason for that is because if she gets any entertainment she refuses to use her brain to learn. We had allowed her to watch some movies with the family and she went right back to refusing to learn. This is the road I'm talking about. It is the one she is choosing, and I will go all the way with her because I LOVE her.

Buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride!

self correction

2010-02-18T11:15:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,
As I struggle and wrestle with God's will and am infused with a passion to seek justice and protect the helpless and homeless, I have come to the realization that my passionate words may be doing harm.
In my last post I slammed "most Christian agencies." While my observations are true to my experiences, are they really constructive to say out loud? My intent is to spur change, but is that really my result? It may be that all I am really doing is giving Christian agencies a bad name. Therefore I am becoming an ally of satan by spreading discontent and a sour taste toward these agencies. Shame on me.
What I should be saying is that I know that these agencies are living out James 1:27 in the manner that they see fit. I am frustrated with how bureaucracy and culture has morphed this into something that should not be.
What would be more constructive? I feel a duty to you, my adoptive friends, to tell you the avenues that will best help you live out God's desire for you, while at the same time, I have an obligation to these other brothers and sisters of mine to cover them.
Forgive me for my misguided fervor. If you ever see me veering off into wrong territory, please do not hesitate to redirect me. If you have specific questions that you think I may know the answer to, please comment to me and we can arrange to speak one on one.
I encourage you, if you experience these frustrations with the agency you are dealing with, to lovingly confront them directly, in hopes that they will hear truth and seek change.
I will not mention the names of the agencies I am referring to, but I will tell you that they have prayerfully been contacted regarding these shortcomings, and we have hope that truth will be heard and changes will be made.
I do not wish to be a source of discouragement for anyone and I hope that I am not a detractor to our Lord Jesus.
Very sincerely,
Traci

Are you kidding me?

2010-02-16T17:02:00.001-08:00

I have come to the unfortunate conclusion that most Christian adoption agencies are the biggest obsticle to placing orphans and therefore satan's greatest ally in the orphan crisis.
Why is it that Christian agencies, who only work with Christian adoptive families, place the most restrictions on placement, with the end result of each adoption being to provide the "American Dream" for the orphan?
1. Don't put 3 children in one room.
2. We won't help you financially, but don't you dare finance an adoption, only autos and large houses (you know, so each kid can be isolated within their own room)
3. Heaven forbid the child might have a birthdate too close to another child in the family.
4. Don't even think about bumping birth order.
5. Reduce fees? Are you kidding me!!!!

These are the standard guidelines for most Christian agencies. While they waste time trying to meet these unrealistic standards for Christians who are trying to live with God's will, "secular" agencies are bending over backwards to find and place these precious children. 3 kids in a room- sounds cozy. Artifical twinning- do you as a family understand what this entails? Ok, go for it. Same for birth order bumping. It's not a given, but will certainly be considered. And the fees? commonly slashed for older children and sibling groups.

I know someone right now who has been told by the case worker that "it does not feel like a good fit for me, so let's not go any farther."

They were being considered for a 5 year old boy. He would share a room (a very large room) with 2 other boys. He would not be an artifical twin, but others within the home were, so, no. And besides, you might take on a little debt in order to finance this. (A Christian agency who should realize that God our heavenly Father PROVIDES!!!)

I am not kidding.

This is breaking my heart.

$5 face lift

2010-02-04T16:39:00.000-08:00

Dear friends, I have an opportunity you won't want to pass up. I know about a $5 face lift.

A FIVE DOLLAR FACE LIFT!!!!!

You read correctly. $5.

Where might I get one of these face lifts you ask?

STEP 1
follow this link. http://reecesrainbow.com/familydonations.html
STEP 2
hit the paypal donate button.
STEP 3
donate $5 giving special instructions designating your donation to the Allen Family for Irena.
step 5
look in the mirror and see the smile you get from helping a family become whole!

Pretty cool, I know! Please tell all your friends. Lets watch this go viral!!!

I bet you are wondering who the Allens are, and why do I want to help them?
I'm glad you asked.
here is their blog: http://ascendtothehillofthelord.blogspot.com/
Tim and Cindy Allen are a wonderful couple who are striving to become a family for Irena, a darling HIV+ girl from Ukraine. They need your help. They can be her family but have just one tiny little hurdle.
The matter of oh, $23,000.
If we pull together, this really is a small hurdle.
What do you say?
Get your face lift and make sure your friends do too!!!!

"Chosen" New shirts to benefit Project Hopeful

2010-01-27T13:15:00.000-08:00

Project Hopeful is partnering with 147 million Orphans to raise funds for our Ethiopia "Almost Homes" 50% of each sale will go to Project Hopeful.

When is it real?

2010-01-23T09:15:00.001-08:00

I have recently been convicted that I cast someone who meant well in a bad light. I have edited this post to correct this. Forgive me for this oversight. Sometimes I get too invested in my own emotions to think clearly about how what I write may effect others.

During the adoption process, it is sometimes difficult for your child to seem real while the months between start to home drag on. I have pregnant friends who say that even as they can watch their stomachs protrude and they wear the carpet thin with pm trips to the bathroom, the fact that they will actually hold someone at the end of all this is not always clear. I guess no matter how you become a parent, you share many of the same feelings.
While it doesn't always feel real, real things are happening, both good and bad, and in our house, all the kids are privy to it. Things happen or do not happen that are beyond your control and sometimes you start to loose it. I hit a wall this week. Hit the wall and broke down.
It happened in the parking lot outside of our church's ministry center, right after my morning bible study. I had just submitted a prayer request thanking God that I was feeling so calm and praying for the people responsible for these last pieces of our paperwork to be done. I thought I was doing great.
Arrogant much?
Something that I had anticipated being completed much sooner was still not complete. It was finally supposed to be in my hands. On this day in particular, it became very aparent that it was NOT going to happen. I couldn't accept this fact and completely lost it right there in the parking lot. This breakdown resulted in swift action on the part of a number of people and I was finally able to get my hands on what I needed.
This episode WAS NOT PRETTY.
I WAS NOT PRETTY.
The subsequent post about it was definately NOT PRETTY.

I didn't really tell you this story to say poor me.
( you can if you want to though)

It was to share the really cool way if affected the other kids. I had been feeling horrible that they saw mom lose it like that.

They thought Mom's breakdown was awesome.

They have been watching me do paperwork, and make phone calls, and send emails and texts. Seeing these things take time from them.

Then they saw me cry.
Cry harder than they had ever seen me cry.

And it hit them.

This is all to bring their sister home.

This is not the first time mom has done this.

Mom worked that hard.
Fought that hard.
Cried that hard...
for ME too.

It became REAL to Biruk and Hanna and Mel, and even Sveta and Andy...

This is what love looks like.

Adjustments

2010-01-06T16:51:00.000-08:00

As the new parent of older children, sometimes it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what the "sticking point" is for each child's transition. There is always a presence, a hurdle, that seems difficult if not impossible to surmount.

It's not uncommon for Biruk to be receiving a lecture for not listening or more importantly, absorbing the content of any such lecture, and subsequently, he is destined to hear it again. This is an actual converasation between the two of us:
B- "Why are you always saying that to me. All the time you're saying the same thing."
Me- "I am always saying this same thing to you. Why do you think that is?"
B- "I don't know."
Me-"Well, until you figure it out, I promise you're going to hear it again."
He just shakes his head and walks away.

This is all the time. I feel many times like I am loosing my mind. I know I have given directives, or made corrections, but It's like I'm living in the movie Ground Hog Day. I'm constantly telling my husband "every day is a new day". I't is tiring.

Well, I think I've pinpointed the problem. Biruk has an incredible coping mechanism. If something is unpleasant (horrible in the past), he simply blanks out and takes it until it's over. That is why he says things like "your life is your life, you just live it". He couldn't do anything about the circumstance, so he just closed his mind and endured.
Things are much better for him now, but this pattern of behavior is not. Mom's fussing, just sit silently until she's done talking and move on. Dad's unhappy, just clam up until it's over. The problem is, he's not in a dire situation anymore, but his reactions are the same. His default setting is "closed". Nothing gets in. He doesn't even realize that he's not listening, and it's not just with us. Anything that isn't what he wants to hear, he just closes up. We have class on Tuesdays. He is absorbing the learning, but if the tutor gives an assignment, he has no idea. He is in Civil Air Patrol. He enjoys it alot and he attends by himself. This week, Scott went with him. The captain asked Scott why Biruk keeps coming in dressed inappropriately- wrong pants and his shirt untucked. We know that they made him tuck in his shirt the first time, but he insists that no one has said a thing to him about dress code since then, or what to study for the next meeting, or who he reports to, or if he is responsible to call, etc.
The problem is, he doesn't have any ownership of his actions. If he is supposed to do something, someone will forcibly make him do it. If not, it must not be important therefore it never even registers. I can see how this played out in his old life when most things were beyond his control. This new life is nothing like that. He must learn to open up to what is happening around him. He doesn't grasp that he has a future and that he can affect it. That is really the crux here.

HE HAS A FUTURE

HE CAN SET AND ACHIEVE GOALS rather than just exist.

He hasn't quite grasped it yet. It is frustrating for him and us, but we are all getting through it.

Frustration

2009-12-22T12:47:00.000-08:00

I am feeling a great amount of frustration when talking to people in general and The Church more specifically about adoption. There is a great divorce between what adoption is and what orphan care means. Now, orphan care is huge, I am just talking about the "adoption" facet of orphan care here.

When someone says "adoption", the only need anyone thinks is being met is the parent's desire for a family, and that means infant. Someone wants a baby. Needs a baby. Is adopting a baby. That family couldn't "have their own" (I cringe as I write that- I have 5 of "my own" children and one more waiting for me. God intrusted me with them and I have the paperwork to prove it!) and so they are adopting one.

Where is the ORPHAN here?

The ORPHAN is missing!!!!!

Adoption has been so sanitized that the baby being adopted didn't exist until the parents' need did. This is why the need is so great. This is why no one feels obligated to help. This is why it is not the responsibility of The Church. If you choose to encrease your family, that is really on you. Why should anyone feel moved that you have a void that you feel needs to be filled by babies? Family size is personal and is not anyone else's responsibility that you need more kids.

DO YOU SEE WHAT HAS HAPPENED????!!!!

ORPHANS DON'T EXIST OR HAVE NEEDS.

ONLY BARREN MOTHERS HAVE NEEDS AND THAT IS YOUR PROBLEM, SORRY.

You know what? I didn't need any more kids. At one point, for a very long time, I didn't want any more kids. Mel, Biruk, Hanna and Bianca are not filling any deep seated desire in me for more children.

GASP!!!!! WHAT ARE YOU SAYING, TRACI!!!! HOW DARE YOU? HOW DARE YOU ADOPT CHILDREN WHEN YOU AREN'T MEETING YOUR DEEPEST NEED TO PARENT A BABY!!!

The only need of mine that I met was my need to OBEY my Father. He said I was to meet the needs of orphans. He even took me to Ethiopia and showed me the need. I didn't need any more kids, but I did need to obey. The need we met in adopting was the need of ORPHANS.

MY ADOPTIONS WERE DONE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ORPHANS.

ORPHANS!

ORPHANS!

I'LL SAY IT ONE MORE TIME. ORPHANS!

THERE ARE 147 MILLION ORPHANS IN THIS WORLD. THEY EXIST AND WE ARE IGNORING THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ORPHANS THAT GOD HAS COMMISSIONED US, HIS CHURCH, TO TAKE CARE OF.

James 1:26-27 (New International Reader's Version)
Suppose you think your beliefs are right because of how you live. But you don't control what you say. Then you are fooling yourselves. Your beliefs are not worth anything at all.
Here are the kinds of beliefs that God our Father accepts as pure and without fault. When widows and children who have no parents are in trouble, take care of them. And keep yourselves from being polluted by the world.

You know what I don't read here? It doesn't say " When a couple experiences infertility and have exhausted all options for having a child naturally, God will provide an infant for them to adopt to fill their void and meet their need. That is how God shows us he loves us."

This is what I believe. I believe we live in a fallen world. A world that is no longer perfect. I do not believe that "everything happens for a reason", that all bad things happen so God can do something good. I believe bad things happen because we live in a sinful world. Period. However, bad things happen and God does DO something good through them, but it's conditional.
What happens is Romans 8:28:
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Guess what? If you don't love God and aren't called according to his purpose, you just have a sack full of fallen world bad things happen because the rain falls on the just and the unjust circumstance, the same as everyone else. But if you do love him, He can work that infertillity together for the good of you who love him. Through my infertillity, God worked Svetlana and Andy together for our good. They were ORPHANS WITH A NEED, and I was a childless parent. Through this, He worked their circumstance and mine to our good. He gave us a heart for the ORPHAN, and allowed us to see His direction, and he caused Biruk, Hanna, and Mel's ORPHAN STATUS to work together for good to them and to us, and we are a family because our obedience meets their needs.

Bottom line:

ADOPTION IS NOT ABOUT ME.

IT IS ABOUT ORPHANS!!!!!!!!

Biruki wisdom

2009-12-07T16:09:00.000-08:00

Biruk has a very centered view of life. Here are just 2 of his gems of wisdom:

I asked him if he was ever sad about events in his past and if he is ever missing Ethiopia and his former life.
He said, "Why I be sad? Your life is your life. You live it. Why I be sad about it? I can't change it. It's just my life."

This is what I heard him tell Hanna today when she said she couldn't do something because it was too hard.
"Everything is hard when you don't know how to do it. You just have to keep doing it until it is not hard anymore. That is why things are easy for me."

This is from a 13 year old boy who lost his father when he was very young, was physically abused by subsequent men his mother was involved with, was shuffled between the homes of other family members, watched as his younger brother was sent to America while caring for his mother who was dying of AIDS. He had the choice to stay in Ethiopia but chose to go to America with Hanna and become my son because if he didn't, his older sister could not take a job as a servant in Dubai. He has told me that until his mother died, he loved his life. I could go on, but I think you get the point.

I can't help but recall my own paltry list of "trials" in comparison to his. Shame on me for being so insulated that I can't see how my heavenly Father has abundantly blessed me.
Who expected my son to be so much like Paul. Would that I were more like them both.

Philippians 4:11-13

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

A Psalm for Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T16:30:00.000-08:00

Psalm 100
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thaks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations.

Retort to the Reluctant

2009-11-14T07:09:00.000-08:00

THE DEFINITION OF EVIL IS WHEN GOOD PEOPLE SEE INJUSTICE AND DO NOTHING.

It is no secret that I am an orphan advocate. While I don't believe that everyone can or even should adopt a child, I do know without a doubt that every Christian has a roll to play in their care. Just like every Christian has a roll to play in helping the homeless and the imprisoned. I, as an individual, cannot possibly meet all of these needs. It is physically impossible to do. I am however part of a larger body, the body of Christ, and together we enable the group as a whole to fulfill all the needs set before us. If our church is not even attempting to meet these needs, well, that's another post, I am just setting the stage for what should be happening and how it gets done.

Back to orphan care specifically. I have heard it argued recently that perhaps it is not the Christian's responsibility to feed, clothe, help the poor and suffering (to include orphans). That really our responsibility is only to Christ's brothers and sisters (Christians). That since salvation is only for the called, then our responsibility is only to them. I believe that this argument takes you down the road of "there is no need to evangelize because the called are called and will come to Christ", but again, that is another post for another time. I will do what I can to keep on task. I will touch on it a bit, because it is an integral counter-point to the argument against helping all.

Are we really supposed to meet the needs of everyone? Lets see what Jesus did.

In Matthew 15:32-39, Jesus had been addressing a crowd of over 4,000. Verse 32 says, "I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way. "

Jesus preaches indiscriminately, and He feeds indiscriminately. He never says, "Here's a list of those who have become My brother. Feed them and send the others on their way." No. He gave His message to all and He fed them all.

Ezekiel 18:5,9b
If a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness... but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing... "he is righteous and will surely live," declares the Lord God.

Mark 16:15-16
And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned."

The parable of the soils in Mark 4 likens us to sowers sowing seed on all kinds of soil. He doesn't tell us to only sow on the good soil. We sow the seed everywhere. It is for God to know His gift to the Son. We are the workers.

I could go on, I just wished to establish that we are not told to be discriminate in who we give help to. In Romans 12:20 we are even told explicitly to feed and quench the thirst of our enemies. We are to overcome evil with good.

God's heart for the orphan is clear. In 36 different places in the Bible orphans are mentioned and in all instances, we are either being exhorted to help and protect, someone is being condemned for not caring for the orphan, or God Himself is protecting them.

I am never going to write that YOU MUST ADOPT ORPHANS. What I will say is that you had best be doing something, and if the Holy Spirit is prompting you to act and you are fighting Him, woe to you. What are you thinking? Don't you trust Him? Don't you believe that He knows what's best for you? Are you really going to tell Him that what He has planned for you is just not right?

James 4:17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Orphan Sunday

2009-11-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

Every 15 seconds another child becomes an orphan in Africa.
Every day 5,760 more children become orphans.
Every year 2,102,400 more children become orphans in Africa alone.
In Ukraine and Russia 10-15% of children who age out of the system commit suicide before age 18.
60% of the girls are lured into prostitution.
70% of the boys become hardened criminals.
Many of these children accept job offers that result in their being sold as slaves.

IT IS TIME TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!!!

Proverbs 24:12
Once our eyes have been opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act.

Tesfe Means Hope

2009-10-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

When Mel came home, we made a movie chronicling his arrival. I finally completed one for Biruk and Hanna.

I love a rediculous story

2009-10-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

Read this story and felt like sharing. Enjoy a good laugh or take this as a warning, which ever applies.

Drinking and driving his recliner don't mix
Duluth, Minn.- A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to driving his motorized La-Z-Boy chair while drunk.
A criminal complaint says Dennis Le Roy Anderson, 62, told police he left a bar on his chair after drinking eight or nine beers.
Prosecutors say Anderson's blood alcohol was 0.29, more than triple the legal limit, when he crashed into a parked vehicle in 2008. Police said the chair was powered by a converted lawn mower and had a stereo and cup holders. Anderson, who was not seriously injured, was ordered this week to serve two years' probation.