We were surprised to wake up to an email from the director of the TLC in Ukraine Sunday morning. She told us that she wanted us to talk to Ruslan and Andrey via skype. We were more than ready for that! So today at noon (8:00 pm for them), we had our first skype conversation with our soon-to-be sons. There was no video feed, but there were two voices we remember well. Ruslan sounds a bit older than last year, which is to be expected. Noah was able to talk and listen with us, but Levi is away at camp. He'll get to speak with them next week.
It was an hour of back and forth between us, the boys and the translator. It's funny to need someone elses assistance to speak with people that you think of as family. I am so grateful for their help as we muddle our way through this. The TLC director is also their English teacher and she hopes that skyping will encourage them to do well in their studies. We hoped to answer any questions that the boys have, but they didn't have many. The TLC director said that they think America is just like Ukraine. "They will be surprised for sure." They did want to know about school. We told them that we home school the boys, but we weren't sure what was going to happen with them- that we're checking into all of our options. Andrey liked the idea of home schooling. Ruslan is curious about what will happen with his schooling because technically, in Ukraine, he is finished with school. But in America, we explained to him that this is not the case. He has all B's and 1 C. Andrey has mostly B's. We asked Andrey if he wanted a bike to ride. He does. We told him we will have one ready for him when he comes. We told Ruslan that we needed to teach him to drive once his English is good enough. He really liked that idea. The director said that he would never have the opportunity to drive a car at this age in Ukraine. Andrey said that Ruslan will probably run over our chickens! We told them that Ruslan, because he is the oldest, will have his own bedroom and that Andrey will share with Levi. They replied that this is "discrimination"...followed by a big laugh. I asked the director if they have family that they will want to keep in contact with. She said that they had an aunt visit them twice a few years ago, but now they have no contact with her. She said she doesn't think their mother even remembers that she had them. My heart broke. Well, this Mama remembers them.
Today, before our skype session, Noah asked to watch the video of his birth (the edited version, of course). We watched it together with the little one and a half year old boy we are fostering. His newborn baby sister lay next to us in her bed. I watched my baby meeting his big brother for the first time. The bonding, the tears, the laughs. It's a beautiful memory. I can't help but realize that these two babies don't have the first few precious weeks together that mine did, bonding with each other and their parents. Instead, they are bonding with total strangers. And then hearing about the boys parents in Ukraine made me wonder what their early years must have been like. I think when they make it home, we will have a party for every birthday we missed. Every child is special. Every child deserves to be celebrated and remembered and loved. This world is a sad place in need of grace. Praise God for the option of adoption and His unfailing love guiding us through it all. Thank you for your continued support!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Life is Full of Surprises
God gave us a heart for orphans- orphans of all shapes and sizes. We were so blessed last week to sell the first 26 pieces of our puzzle! Our home study document is completed and waiting to be checked by our facilitator. We received a long-awaited letter from Ruslan! And we continue to complete various steps so that we can bring these boys home. But life is full of surprises, and we were blessed last Thursday with an opportunity to share God's love with two other children. Because we are a certified foster family, we received a call about two children who needed a place to stay until they can find a more permanent home for them. With less than 24 hours notice, I scrambled to borrow cribs and other baby needs. The boys were away at camp with their Dad, so it was all on my shoulders...until my wonderful mother-in-law stepped in and gave me help. So now we have a house full of baby gear! The puzzle had to be put up high out of reach from the one and a half year old boy. But it's still growing piece by piece. We brought the babies to church with us today and a swarm of people gathered to see their adorable little faces. It's easy to fall in love with a baby. Maybe not so easy to fall in love with a teenager. Adopting older children is an unusual choice. I can't tell you how surprised I am that we are making it. But God pulls your heart where it needs to be. A friend at church asked me today if we were going to fall in love with these little babies and decide to adopt them. The honest truth is that I pray every night for their Mommy to be able to hold them in her arms again. Half my heart is in Ukraine with our sons, ready to love them through their teens and find their place in our family. The other half is with my boys right here. So thankful to love on these babies for now. And let me tell you, the biggest blessing in all of this is watching my boys with these babies. If you've ever considered becoming a foster family but didn't because you were afraid it would take away from your own kids needs- let me just share with you that it has ADDED to their lives, not taken away. I am grateful we've had this opportunity and I plan to do it again someday.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Peace by Piece BUY Piece
We are overwhelmed by the generosity of friends new and old. Fund raising makes me anxious. But piece by piece, I gain a new sense of peace. This is all in God's capable, caring hands. I want this to be our Ebenezer. Everytime I glance at the puzzle in it's changing state, I am grateful for the faithfulness of God and how He acts through His people, delivering these boys. On the back of each piece purchased, we write the name or initials of the purchaser. Thought you might like to see:
Monday, June 20, 2011
Trying Not to Sink
Keeping my eyes on Jesus today. This adoption process is like learning to walk on water. With faith, we can accomplish this because our God is BIG. Got an email this morning that the SDA (the adoption organization in Ukraine) will be closing sometime soon. There will be a new organization in it's place, but who knows how long this may take to put together. Our hope is that these boys will be home for Christmas. I know that may seem like a pie in the sky dream, but I ask BIG things of my very BIG God. He is able, more than able. I know that he knows the end from the beginning. I am trying very hard to be confident in His timing. Feels like walking on water. Trying not to sink. Join me in bold prayer for a Christmas like no other.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Piece BUY Piece!...Let the fundraising begin!
As I'm sure you are aware, this adoption will be quite expensive. Many of you have already asked how you can help. Our first fundraiser will allow us to pay our facilitator in Ukraine. At the bottom of the blog, you will see a puzzle like this:
By clicking the "Donate" button, you can help bring our boys together piece by piece! I will update the blog often with new photos of how they're "coming together." When the puzzle is complete, we will frame it and put it in our living room as a reminder that YOU helped bring them home! Buy a piece for $25.
By clicking the "Donate" button, you can help bring our boys together piece by piece! I will update the blog often with new photos of how they're "coming together." When the puzzle is complete, we will frame it and put it in our living room as a reminder that YOU helped bring them home! Buy a piece for $25.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Paperwork, Panic, Patience...and PEACE
Let me tell you, the adoption industry has NOT gone green. Oh the paperwork! In duplicate, notarized and apostilled at the State Capital. With each signature, I am reminded that God doesn't promise us an easy life when we follow his will. But, in 2 Corinthians, we are reminded that "our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." I cling to that. For us, this is a beautiful path to walk- but for the person behind the counter, it's just another paper for to be dealt with. It's not personal to them. It is very personal to us, though. The panic that sets in when you realize you didn't file the right paper or forgot to sign that form is almost like losing your child at Wal-Mart. Oh the frenzy! And it seems wrong to have to prove that you're a good parent when you've (so far) successfully parented two boys of your own. But the most difficult thing for me, so far, is patience. Learning to be patient with those who do not understand. Practicing patience when the paperwork is not in your hands and you can't control the speed with which it is processed or the attitude with which it's met. Patiently waiting for those letters from Ruslan and Andrey...the one glimpse into their world that we have on a regular basis.
Some of you have asked if the boys know we are adopting them. We sent an email to the TLC director in Mariupol a few days before Memorial Day. This is the letter she translated for us:
Dear Ruslan and Andrey,
We feel so blessed to have met two fine young men such as yourselves. You are funny, intelligent, kind, and obedient. These are wonderful qualities that will carry you far in life. But life can be cruel, and when you face challenges in the world, it helps to have a family to lean on for support. We have been praying about adoption this year and had plans to adopt here in America…but you have never left our thoughts.
You are getting older, and we think you should have a say in your future. It is your life to live, after all. We would like you to come to America and be our sons. We would like to adopt you. If the process runs smoothly, this could be as soon as Autumn (Fall). But whenever paperwork is involved, things can get difficult and so it might take longer. But we are committed to the process if indeed you want to come.
Please let us know what your feelings are. We will always support you through the TLC if you choose not to come live with us. All we want is for you to have a successful life full of opportunities to serve the Lord and a family to support you through it all. We would love to be that family. We love you.
Sincerely,
Josh, Mika, Levi and Noah
We waited (patiently) for six days. On Memorial Day morning, Josh came running at me with my phone and shoved it in front of my sleepy eyes. The email we received was just an informative one. "They said they would like you to adopt them." The director had read them our letter and told them to think about it for a few days. She impressed upon them the financial commitment we were making. She told Andrew (our missionary friend in Ukraine) that they were excited. But that's all we know. It feels a little strange to have made this decision together and yet apart. We eagerly await a response that tells us how they're feeling about all of this. I'm sure it's a complex bunch of emotions. I'm ready for it all. We have written them since then and encouraged them to express their thoughts to us through mail. We will be able to skype with them while they're at camp in July. And we mailed off their first tuition check so that they can start learning English this summer. But all we can do for now is wait. Getting the mail has turned into such an anxious event.
Paperwork, panic and patience. But there's something else rising up inside of me- peace- a peace that passes all understanding. My kids are halfway across the world, learning a new language and wondering how their lives are about to change. My kids are right here at home, going to camp and the water park, wondering how their lives are going to change. Peace perfect peace. God is above it all and in it all. Praise Him!...and pass the paperwork.
Some of you have asked if the boys know we are adopting them. We sent an email to the TLC director in Mariupol a few days before Memorial Day. This is the letter she translated for us:
Dear Ruslan and Andrey,
We feel so blessed to have met two fine young men such as yourselves. You are funny, intelligent, kind, and obedient. These are wonderful qualities that will carry you far in life. But life can be cruel, and when you face challenges in the world, it helps to have a family to lean on for support. We have been praying about adoption this year and had plans to adopt here in America…but you have never left our thoughts.
You are getting older, and we think you should have a say in your future. It is your life to live, after all. We would like you to come to America and be our sons. We would like to adopt you. If the process runs smoothly, this could be as soon as Autumn (Fall). But whenever paperwork is involved, things can get difficult and so it might take longer. But we are committed to the process if indeed you want to come.
Please let us know what your feelings are. We will always support you through the TLC if you choose not to come live with us. All we want is for you to have a successful life full of opportunities to serve the Lord and a family to support you through it all. We would love to be that family. We love you.
Sincerely,
Josh, Mika, Levi and Noah
We waited (patiently) for six days. On Memorial Day morning, Josh came running at me with my phone and shoved it in front of my sleepy eyes. The email we received was just an informative one. "They said they would like you to adopt them." The director had read them our letter and told them to think about it for a few days. She impressed upon them the financial commitment we were making. She told Andrew (our missionary friend in Ukraine) that they were excited. But that's all we know. It feels a little strange to have made this decision together and yet apart. We eagerly await a response that tells us how they're feeling about all of this. I'm sure it's a complex bunch of emotions. I'm ready for it all. We have written them since then and encouraged them to express their thoughts to us through mail. We will be able to skype with them while they're at camp in July. And we mailed off their first tuition check so that they can start learning English this summer. But all we can do for now is wait. Getting the mail has turned into such an anxious event.
Paperwork, panic and patience. But there's something else rising up inside of me- peace- a peace that passes all understanding. My kids are halfway across the world, learning a new language and wondering how their lives are about to change. My kids are right here at home, going to camp and the water park, wondering how their lives are going to change. Peace perfect peace. God is above it all and in it all. Praise Him!...and pass the paperwork.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
A Vision of Hope
On June 6, 1998, I stood hand in hand with the man of my dreams, hoping for a white picket fence in our future. And in the years to come, that is precisely what I got. God provided us with two articulate and handsome boys. They are healthy and happy. My husband has a job which allows me to remain at home with them. We've even been blessed to enjoy three years of home schooling. But my vision has been altered in the last two years. It all began with this picture...
After reconnecting with my husbands college roommate on Facebook, we learned about a wonderful opportunity to share what God had given us. Andrew told us about his work in Ukraine. Jeremiah’s Hope seeks to provide God’s hope, healing and practical help to the orphans and at-risk youth of Ukraine. By ministering to their spiritual, emotional and physical needs, they seek to guide these youth to become productive, Christian citizens in their own country. We decided to sponsor one child. Ruslan was fourteen. He was a nice looking kid who needed our help. We were happy to send money. Shortly after sending our payment, we received our first letter from Ruslan. Who knew we'd get a pen-pal out of this deal? The boys made drawings and wrote letters back. I did, too. Something kept tugging at my heart. But for the grace of God go MY boys...
On a drive to Texas, my husband announced that he thought we should go to Ukraine and work at the summer camp with Andrew. Pardon me? It's one thing for us to send a check- quite another to travel internationally...with two children. But I had been praying for my husband to lead us spiritually...and wasn't this a step in that direction? A year later, I found myself boarding a plane to Europe. Josh would teach art. I would cook and teach piano lessons. Originally, we were planning to go early in the summer and work with younger orphans. But Josh's boss needed him to go later in the summer, and much to our surprise, this meant we would be at camp during the week that Ruslan would attend. We were going to get to meet the boy we had been writing for a year now. We saw that as a coincidence then...but now we see the hand of God moving in our lives.
I was working in the kitchen, chopping something, no doubt. I looked up and saw a group of teenagers filling the meeting hall. A lady walked over to my five year old and pointed to a boy across the way. She said, "Noah- orange shirt. Ruslan- orange shirt." I followed her gaze. The little sailor boy in the picture was not so flat anymore. He walked over to Noah and they hugged. There was a bond that had been created through those letters. I didn't expect it to overwhelm me the way that it did. Over the next few days, we all got to know Ruslan and his younger brother Andrey. The boys played soccer together. We gave them money on a sight-seeing trip to Kiev and they used it to buy a keychain for OUR boys. You read that right. We took them to buy school shoes. We played Farkle with them and laughed at their "game faces." Ruslan ate more than anyone at camp and helped put the plates out everyday. I felt a sense of pride in those boys. Suddenly, they weren't just someone elses problem. Saying good-bye was a very emotional experience...and it caught us all by surprise.
There are so many things I could say about that trip. But the thing I remember most was going to bed in tears every night. After weeks of interacting with these amazing kids, I had to do something. I began to pray about adoption. I had prayed about it before. But after that trip, it became a running dialogue between God and I. It was always on my mind and never left my heart. Josh began to respond to that calling, too. I was overwhelmed when he handed me a note in the middle of church. "I think we should go for it."
A few months later, we were filling out paperwork to become a Chickasaw fost-adopt family. I wanted to adopt from Ukraine, but we were convinced that it wasn't financially possible for us. Couples all around us were doing it- fund raising and making it happen. Why not us? But I was submissive.
Letters from Ruslan became a whole lot more exciting after we meet he and Andrey. He wasn't just a face in a picture. He was a person. And now that we knew Andrey, we began to see them as a family. We couldn't wait to hear from them and to share with them all of our news. We sent pictures and Christmas gifts. We began to save letters.
It's funny how God moves in your heart. Sometimes it's a slow crawl...sometimes it's a lightning bolt. Sometimes it's a slow crawl followed by a lightning bolt. But once He gets in there, you almost feel harassed. Ruslan's letters began to take a different turn. He had been taken out of the home he was in and put back in the orphanage. His grades were down. His behavior was not good. This was the best behaved kid at camp! What was happening to him. And why was he telling us this? He could've skipped all of that. But he didn't. I began to look up bible verses to encourage him. Josh wrote him letters about becoming a young man- the trials and tribulations of his own youth. And then one day he sent a small card. It was to celebrate Women's Day. The poem on the card was about a mother. He said, "I am sending this to you, Mika, because you all have become like a family to me and my brother." Right through the heart.
And so began our journey of hope. If we were "like a family" to he and Andrey, then why shouldn't we BE a family to them? Now that we had met them, could we just allow them to age out of the system and pray that God would take care of them? Prayer is powerful and affective, but aren't we called to be the hands and feet of Jesus? How could we walk away? We couldn't.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
We had fear that this journey might be harmful to us, financially or emotionally. It might "mess up our kids." It might break us. It might stress us out. But if God put it on our hearts, then His plan is to prosper us, not to harm us. He has a hope for us. He has a hope for those boys. And we believe the future he has planned for us on earth is a future that brings us together.
Join us in prayer about this adoption.
After reconnecting with my husbands college roommate on Facebook, we learned about a wonderful opportunity to share what God had given us. Andrew told us about his work in Ukraine. Jeremiah’s Hope seeks to provide God’s hope, healing and practical help to the orphans and at-risk youth of Ukraine. By ministering to their spiritual, emotional and physical needs, they seek to guide these youth to become productive, Christian citizens in their own country. We decided to sponsor one child. Ruslan was fourteen. He was a nice looking kid who needed our help. We were happy to send money. Shortly after sending our payment, we received our first letter from Ruslan. Who knew we'd get a pen-pal out of this deal? The boys made drawings and wrote letters back. I did, too. Something kept tugging at my heart. But for the grace of God go MY boys...
On a drive to Texas, my husband announced that he thought we should go to Ukraine and work at the summer camp with Andrew. Pardon me? It's one thing for us to send a check- quite another to travel internationally...with two children. But I had been praying for my husband to lead us spiritually...and wasn't this a step in that direction? A year later, I found myself boarding a plane to Europe. Josh would teach art. I would cook and teach piano lessons. Originally, we were planning to go early in the summer and work with younger orphans. But Josh's boss needed him to go later in the summer, and much to our surprise, this meant we would be at camp during the week that Ruslan would attend. We were going to get to meet the boy we had been writing for a year now. We saw that as a coincidence then...but now we see the hand of God moving in our lives.
I was working in the kitchen, chopping something, no doubt. I looked up and saw a group of teenagers filling the meeting hall. A lady walked over to my five year old and pointed to a boy across the way. She said, "Noah- orange shirt. Ruslan- orange shirt." I followed her gaze. The little sailor boy in the picture was not so flat anymore. He walked over to Noah and they hugged. There was a bond that had been created through those letters. I didn't expect it to overwhelm me the way that it did. Over the next few days, we all got to know Ruslan and his younger brother Andrey. The boys played soccer together. We gave them money on a sight-seeing trip to Kiev and they used it to buy a keychain for OUR boys. You read that right. We took them to buy school shoes. We played Farkle with them and laughed at their "game faces." Ruslan ate more than anyone at camp and helped put the plates out everyday. I felt a sense of pride in those boys. Suddenly, they weren't just someone elses problem. Saying good-bye was a very emotional experience...and it caught us all by surprise.
There are so many things I could say about that trip. But the thing I remember most was going to bed in tears every night. After weeks of interacting with these amazing kids, I had to do something. I began to pray about adoption. I had prayed about it before. But after that trip, it became a running dialogue between God and I. It was always on my mind and never left my heart. Josh began to respond to that calling, too. I was overwhelmed when he handed me a note in the middle of church. "I think we should go for it."
A few months later, we were filling out paperwork to become a Chickasaw fost-adopt family. I wanted to adopt from Ukraine, but we were convinced that it wasn't financially possible for us. Couples all around us were doing it- fund raising and making it happen. Why not us? But I was submissive.
Letters from Ruslan became a whole lot more exciting after we meet he and Andrey. He wasn't just a face in a picture. He was a person. And now that we knew Andrey, we began to see them as a family. We couldn't wait to hear from them and to share with them all of our news. We sent pictures and Christmas gifts. We began to save letters.
It's funny how God moves in your heart. Sometimes it's a slow crawl...sometimes it's a lightning bolt. Sometimes it's a slow crawl followed by a lightning bolt. But once He gets in there, you almost feel harassed. Ruslan's letters began to take a different turn. He had been taken out of the home he was in and put back in the orphanage. His grades were down. His behavior was not good. This was the best behaved kid at camp! What was happening to him. And why was he telling us this? He could've skipped all of that. But he didn't. I began to look up bible verses to encourage him. Josh wrote him letters about becoming a young man- the trials and tribulations of his own youth. And then one day he sent a small card. It was to celebrate Women's Day. The poem on the card was about a mother. He said, "I am sending this to you, Mika, because you all have become like a family to me and my brother." Right through the heart.
And so began our journey of hope. If we were "like a family" to he and Andrey, then why shouldn't we BE a family to them? Now that we had met them, could we just allow them to age out of the system and pray that God would take care of them? Prayer is powerful and affective, but aren't we called to be the hands and feet of Jesus? How could we walk away? We couldn't.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
We had fear that this journey might be harmful to us, financially or emotionally. It might "mess up our kids." It might break us. It might stress us out. But if God put it on our hearts, then His plan is to prosper us, not to harm us. He has a hope for us. He has a hope for those boys. And we believe the future he has planned for us on earth is a future that brings us together.
Join us in prayer about this adoption.
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