O Me Of Little Faith

There are mornings that I wake up and the adoption is all I can think about. The what ifs- the worries- the whens. Being type A and adopting DO NOT always mix well. Half the battle is just not knowing. But God never ceases to amaze me. He always sends comfort when I need it most. And it seems to come in waves, too- several things at once. The last few days have been a perfect example of that comfort. On Saturday night, we finally got around to measuring for beds to go in Levi and Andrey's rooms. We're refinancing the house and will be getting some money back at closing, so we thought we'd use some of that money for their room. Now I usually do enough worrying for the both of us, but this one got Josh's goat. Money, money, money. But they needed beds. And our purchase was very frugal. We did all our shopping online at WalMart.com (free shipping site to store). The next day, my parents called and said they wanted to buy the beds for us. God is good. Money is a concern, but the concerns of a mother may be more internal. I worry that the boys will feel out of place here- that they will feel like no one understands them (language and culture). On Tuesday, I was searching the k12 directory for other home school families in the area- thinking of Levi and Noah. One family jumped off the screen. Their 15 year old daughter's bio said, "born in Ukraine- speaks Russian." I emailed them right away. Turns out they adopted their daughter three years ago and they live about 30 minutes away. God is good. I worry and once again, God says, "I've got it all under control- cut it OUT!" The same day, 7 pieces of the puzzle sold and we received confirmation that our i600a was at USCIS being reviewed! God is good.

I am no different than the children of Israel. No matter what God does for me, I choose worry over trust almost every time. I know God is using His refiner's fire through this process to change me. Beyond a fundraiser, this puzzle is a constant reminder that God sees the big picture for our family. He is bringing us together piece by piece in His way and in His time. Shame on me for every fret and fear. May His perfect love cast out all fear within me! I am humbled that He chooses to love this doubtful daughter.

I love this Nickel Creek song. If you haven't heard it, you MUST. Here are the powerful lyrics:

"Doubting Thomas"

What will be left when I've drawn my last breath
Besides the folks I've met and the folks who've known me
Will I discover a soul-saving love
Or just the dirt above and below me

I'm a doubting Thomas
I took a promise
But I do not feel safe
Oh me of little faith

Sometimes I pray for a slap in the face
Then I beg to be spared cause I'm a coward
If there's a master of death
I bet he's holding his breath
As I show the blind and tell the deaf about his power

I'm a doubting Thomas
I can't keep my promises
Cause I don't know what's safe
Oh me of little faith

Can I be used to help others find truth
When I'm scared I'll find proof that it's a lie
Can I be led down a trail dropping bread crumbs
That prove I'm not ready to die

Please give me time to decipher the signs
Please forgive me for time that I've wasted

I'm a doubting Thomas
I'll take your promise
Though I know nothin's safe
Oh me of little faith

Challenge Skype

Communicating via skype is difficult. Not only do the technical glitches take their toll, but knowing exactly what to ask or say is tough and requires a translator. The boys are learning English slowly but surely. Today, they both counted for us. They skipped a couple of numbers and said five-teen instead of fifteen. Ruslan said, "I very miss you much." It is precious to hear those words. I appreciate the translators so much. But man is it great when he can speak for himself! Andrey is more difficult to get a handle on. He is so very shy. I always try to think of a list of questions for him...to attempt to get him talking. But he is a tricky little thing. Ruslan says he is not so quiet all of the time. We look forward to him feeling comfortable enough with us to make more than a peep! But the best part of skyping isn't the talking. My favorite part is seeing their smiles and hearing their laughter...and it's usually a result of Levi and Noah. They have an ability to communicate without words...especially Noah. Last time he made himself "disappear" from the screen. This time, he crossed his eyes for them. They laughed and Ruslan crossed his eyes back. I asked if Andrey could cross his eyes. Ruslan responded (through the translator) that his eyes are always crossed! What a typical brother! They will slide right into this madhouse! Can't wait until they do.

Home Study Update

After more than a month of work, it looks like our home study has been approved by our facilitator in Ukraine. What does that mean? It means that we can submit it to the authorities here in the US for approval. (I600a application) This can take 60-90 days. Part of the process includes fingerprinting. We will get an appointment card in the mail to do that through the FBI office in Oklahoma City. Please join us in prayer that our application will be approved quickly! Just as soon as we're approved, we can send our dossier to Ukraine. Because we were able to scan our home study and send it to our facilitator, she will go ahead and begin work to have it translated. My bold prayer this time around is that we will be able to send our dossier by September! Join me, please. I read the parable of the persistent widow early this morning. Before church, I received the email that our facilitator said our home study looked ready. What's God trying to tell me? All that persistent prayer is paying off. My father hears my pleas and wants justice for his sons in Ukraine. Before all of this started, he gave me another opportunity to pray boldly and persistently. My mother is now cancer-free. Praise God! He hears his children! While I don't believe that He always answers yes, boy isn't it great when our desires and His will line up? I believe God "sets the lonely in families." And I believe He has chosen ours for these boys. Thank you for your encouragement and support.

Update From Levi

Hey! Levi here! Today we got to Skype with Ruslan and Andrey! They are getting better at their English, and I was surprised that Andrey even spoke. He is usually very quiet. He can say “Mother” , ”Father” , ”Grandma”, “Grandpa”, “Play Basketball”, “Play Football”, and “Eat”. It was really cool to be able to see my brothers’ faces on the screen, since I had not seen them for a year! Pasha, a friend of ours from Ukraine was visiting the TLC, and his computer happened to have a webcam. So it was also nice to see him. My grandparents on Dad’s side got to Skype with them, too. It was all a really good experience! It was so good to see the boys, and hopefully we’ll all be talking to them face to face soon!

A New Way To Give

God is so good! We have been given a new way for you to give. Jeremiah's Hope (the ministry that introduced us to our sons) has agreed to accept donations for our in-country expenses in Ukraine. These donations will be TAX DEDUCTIBLE! What a blessing! The contracts states:

The Board of Jeremiah’s Hope has agreed to collect funds and make them available to cover the following expenses IN UKRAINE:
• International Airfare
• Domestic travel in Ukraine (airfare, train, bus, taxi, etc.)
• Translator expenses in country
• Donation to the orphanage in Mariupol
• Housing expenses in Kiev and Mariupol
• Documents in Ukraine (passport, birth certificates, etc.)

As expenses are incurred, Jeremiah’s Hope will provide the funds directly to the vendor on behalf of the Hinsons. No money, at any time, will be given directly to Joshua & Mika Hinson. At the end of the adoption process, any funds donated to Jeremiah’s Hope on behalf of the Hinson family, which has not been spent, will not be given to the Hinsons, but instead will become ministry funds to help further the work of Jeremiah’s Hope at the transitional living center.

You can still buy puzzle pieces through this process. As we get checks in, I'll update the puzzle! We are so grateful for the help of Jeremiah's Hope and so excited about the possibilities that this opens up for donations. In addition, we hope that this will call your attention to this powerful ministry in Ukraine. Andrew and his wife Jenny are doing amazing work there. You can check out their ministry at jeremiahshope.org.

In order for you to make your donation TAX DEDUCTIBLE, please make checks payable to Jeremiah's Hope with no mention of our name on the check. Rather, attach a note to the check stating your donation is for "Hinson Hope". Then mail the check to our address and we will forward them in groups of 10 to Jeremiah's Hope in Abilene. Thanks so much for your donation!

Money, Money, Money

International adoption is expensive. Our supporters may be wondering "where's all the money going?" Below is our adoption expense summary:

Ruslan and Andrey Hinson Adoption Costs

This document details an estimate of the costs involved in bring Ruslan and Andrey to the United States. An international adoption is complicated and costly, with many additional and often unexpected fees. We offer this document in the interest of transparency with you, our supporters, who are assisting us by praying, co-fundraising and donating time and money. It details, to the best of our current knowledge, what we are expecting to pay to grow our family by two.
________________________________________________________________________

Dossier preparation and home study fees:

Home study fee $1000
Post-placement services $600
Courier fees (FedEx) $300
INS Fees and fingerprinting $890
Dossier Apostille $150
Medical report $100

Total estimated US expenses $3,040

In-country expenses while in Ukraine

Facilitator / translation services $7200
Court costs, expediting fees $2000
Airfare (six one-way fares) $6000
Donation to orphanage $1000
Accommodations (approx.) $2400
Transportation $800
Food $1000
Child medical exams $300
Child visas $800

Total estimated Ukraine expenses $21,500

Total estimated adoption expenses $24,540

This is what we're staring down to bring the boys home. We are confident that the Lord will provide. Give, tell others about our blog, and moreover, pray for us as we walk this crazy road.

First Words

We were able to talk to the boys via skype again today. I'm so grateful for the translators. However, from Ruslan, we heard a good start to his English. "Hello. How are you? I am doing good. I miss you." It is a kin to hearing your child's first words. A beautiful sound. Andrey is more reserved. He hides behind his brother. We did get to hear him say hello and good-bye. He was much quieter than his brother, but it brought a smile to all our faces to hear him speak. The boys had a few more questions for us this time. They are beginning to be curious about their new life. I pray that all their questions will be answered completely soon. Please continue to pray boldly with me that they will be home for Christmas. The director of the TLC said that she has shown them our blog. I cannot imagine what that must feel like to them. I can only hope it made them feel wanted and loved, because they are. Right now, we focus on getting them here. But once they're here, I know there will be other hurdles to jump. Can't wait to tackle those challenges together. For now, we look forward to our weekly skype chats and trust that God will bring us together in His way and in His time.