I hope you've had a wonderful Thanksgiving? We did. We are so thankful for our family. We tried to call the orphanage to talk with Makc, Alona and Natasha, but were unsuccessful. We are going to continue trying to reach the orphanage by phone. Please pray God will give the kids a sense of peace and an attitude filled with expectation and hope.
David and I have been blown away the past few weeks by some of you! We so often see selfishness and greed in this world, but I want to share with you that God's desire for His people to love and to give sacrificially is very much alive.
Here are a few stories from the past week:
1. A friend (stay-home mom) whose husband has lost his job calls. She's heard that we sent out a letter asking friends to consider praying and/or giving to be a part of this journey. Her family didn't receive a letter, and calls to see if we will send her one. (note: we did send one, but for whatever reason they didn't get it). Even though they have no known job possibilities right now, they want to give so that we can get the kids here.
2. A family calls asking when the next chunk of money is needed. Their family has talked about this (2 teenage girls and parents) and if they need to forgo giving Christmas presents to one another so that they can get the kids to our home that's what they want to do. They say that if it's after the first of the year they will save to give, but if it's now they are more than willing to make that sacrifice.
3. Some dear friends mail a very generous gift to us. They have 3 kids themselves and work hard like all of us. The note on the check says, "Bring them home!"
These are a FEW stories. I gotta tell you...God is blowing me away. I'm learning so much about Him. I feel like I'm seeing those that have dedicated their lives to Him in a whole new way. How beautiful the body of Christ is. Thank you for blessing me. I pray you see God's working and beauty in a whole new way this week.
Thank you for your prayers!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Paperwork and Money!
Paperwork & Money. We're trusting God with both of these. I pray you know our God does not disappoint! He is providing just what we need and when we need it. Of course we don't know God's timetable, but right now the paperwork is moving right along. If you're into specifics, David and I have physicals next week and we're waiting on marriage certificates and birth certificates to come in, and then we can schedule our home study appointment. This is a huge step to finish. Once the home study is completed, we can hopefully move quickly to complete the rest of the needed paperwork. Our dossier could be over there, Lord willing, in January. This gives us an opportunity to travel in March or maybe summer. We just won't know that until soon before it happens. So, we're doing all we can to get the paperwork finished and over there, and then we trust the Lord's timing is perfect. (Feel free to remind me I said that if you catch me sounding anxious)!
Another great thing about a completed home study is that we can begin applying for grants. There are some great non-profits offering grants to adopting families. As soon as that home study is complete, we'll be applying for as many grants as we can. We are so thankful for the initial money that God has provided allowing us to do this paperwork. We know that He will continue to provide money through grants, through friends and strangers alike whom He calls, and well whatever He pleases! We are trusting God to provide the $25,000 that is still needed.
I ask you to please pray faith-filled and boldly with me that: 1. God will provide all that is needed 2. that all those, including us, who the Lord wants involved in this mission will listen and respond with an open heart. I believe and have already seen that this endeavor is so much bigger than our family. The Lord is doing a big work through this! I believe He's calling some to pray, some to give, some to encourage, some to help, and perhaps even others to adopt through this. Most importantly, I believe He's showing His power and glory, allowing all who are involved to grow and surrender more to Him.
I listened to Casting Crown's Lifesong cd for the first time in quite a while today, and was so struck by the song "In Me." I so relate!!! I had to get a laugh because some of the lyrics talk about the power of Christ making me strong. In the first half of our hosting Makc and Alona there were times when I was quite overwhelmed. The Lord gave me this verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Whew, those became MY verses. I wrote those words on an index card, and that thing went everywhere with me. I would feel overwhelmed and pick up that card reading it aloud. I kept the card and it is folded and bent...let's just say it looks well used!
God is so good. He brought me to a place of delight. I pray as you read the lyrics to the song below, your heart will be touched at God's generosity of wanting to use us, even in our weakness.
"In Me" by Casting Crowns
If you ask me to leap
Out of my boat on the crashing waves
If You ask me to go
Preach to the lost world that Jesus saves
I'll go, but I cannot go alone
Cause I know I'm nothing on my own
But the power of Christ in me makes me strong
Makes me strong
Cause when I'm weak, You make me strong
When I'm blind, You shine Your light on me
Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability
How refreshing to know You don't need me
How amazing to find that you want me
So I'll stand on Your truth, and I'll fight with Your strength
Until You bring the victory, by the power of Christ in me
If You ask me to run
And carry Your light into foreign land
If You ask me to fight
Deliver Your people from Satan's hand
To reach out with Your hands
To learn through Your eyes
To love with the love of a Savior
To feel with Your heart
And to think with Your mind
I'd give my last breath for Your glory
With love, Jenny
"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8
Another great thing about a completed home study is that we can begin applying for grants. There are some great non-profits offering grants to adopting families. As soon as that home study is complete, we'll be applying for as many grants as we can. We are so thankful for the initial money that God has provided allowing us to do this paperwork. We know that He will continue to provide money through grants, through friends and strangers alike whom He calls, and well whatever He pleases! We are trusting God to provide the $25,000 that is still needed.
I ask you to please pray faith-filled and boldly with me that: 1. God will provide all that is needed 2. that all those, including us, who the Lord wants involved in this mission will listen and respond with an open heart. I believe and have already seen that this endeavor is so much bigger than our family. The Lord is doing a big work through this! I believe He's calling some to pray, some to give, some to encourage, some to help, and perhaps even others to adopt through this. Most importantly, I believe He's showing His power and glory, allowing all who are involved to grow and surrender more to Him.
I listened to Casting Crown's Lifesong cd for the first time in quite a while today, and was so struck by the song "In Me." I so relate!!! I had to get a laugh because some of the lyrics talk about the power of Christ making me strong. In the first half of our hosting Makc and Alona there were times when I was quite overwhelmed. The Lord gave me this verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Whew, those became MY verses. I wrote those words on an index card, and that thing went everywhere with me. I would feel overwhelmed and pick up that card reading it aloud. I kept the card and it is folded and bent...let's just say it looks well used!
God is so good. He brought me to a place of delight. I pray as you read the lyrics to the song below, your heart will be touched at God's generosity of wanting to use us, even in our weakness.
"In Me" by Casting Crowns
If you ask me to leap
Out of my boat on the crashing waves
If You ask me to go
Preach to the lost world that Jesus saves
I'll go, but I cannot go alone
Cause I know I'm nothing on my own
But the power of Christ in me makes me strong
Makes me strong
Cause when I'm weak, You make me strong
When I'm blind, You shine Your light on me
Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability
How refreshing to know You don't need me
How amazing to find that you want me
So I'll stand on Your truth, and I'll fight with Your strength
Until You bring the victory, by the power of Christ in me
If You ask me to run
And carry Your light into foreign land
If You ask me to fight
Deliver Your people from Satan's hand
To reach out with Your hands
To learn through Your eyes
To love with the love of a Savior
To feel with Your heart
And to think with Your mind
I'd give my last breath for Your glory
With love, Jenny
"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Dossier starting soon!
Let me start by confessing that this blog stuff is hard. For those who know me, saying things quickly and succinctly isn't always my strength. So forgive me if I go on too long!
In order for Jenny and I to manage the adoption of Makc, Alona, and Natasha, we needed to divide and conquer. Jenny would be mostly responsible for the paperwork and I would be mostly responsible for the finances. So, in the last few weeks, I have been focusing my prayer time around the financial needs, seeking God's guidance in this matter. The question of "How are we going to afford it?" is being answered. It's not "us" that is going to afford it, it's God that's going to afford it and fulfill His plan. We have faith that God will provide as evidenced by a few of the things that have have taken place in the last few days around the financial support.
Within a few days of officially announcing our call to pursue adopting Makc, Alona, and Natasha, we received word from the school that because I had volunteered to coach the girls middle school basketball team, they were going to tear up the $55 check we wrote to cover the fees and they would be supplying Keely with shoes! Money straight into the account. Gas prices falling to levels half the cost compared to a month ago... saving money now! A check that came in the mail with a note saying that the senders were praying for the adoption and to use the gift towards the home study expense, and many more examples. Through the gifts and prayers of so many, we were able to start the home study, the first phase of the process costing almost $2,000 in the first few days, not in weeks or months. God is good.
If that doesn't show how awesome God is, then how about this. Today, we learned that enough money has been given towards the adoption that the dossier can be started! The dossier expense is over $8,000. That's right, over $10,000 has been given towards the adoption of Makc, Alona, and Natasha in a matter of a few weeks, not months or even years!
If all goes well, we hope to have all our paperwork (that's Jenny's job) complete before the end of the year! We know that there will be lots of challenges ahead, like the $25,000+ needed by the time we are invited to travel (maybe spring!). We also know that God is bigger than anything we will face.
When we started seriously talking about the idea of adopting these precious children a few months ago, we kept asking a lot of "how?" questions. We know how - God. We will continue to hold onto the knowledge that God has called our family to adopt Makc, Alona, and Natasha and have faith that His plan will be accomplished.
Thank you for you prayers and support. They are greatly needed and appreciated. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Blessings <><,
David
In order for Jenny and I to manage the adoption of Makc, Alona, and Natasha, we needed to divide and conquer. Jenny would be mostly responsible for the paperwork and I would be mostly responsible for the finances. So, in the last few weeks, I have been focusing my prayer time around the financial needs, seeking God's guidance in this matter. The question of "How are we going to afford it?" is being answered. It's not "us" that is going to afford it, it's God that's going to afford it and fulfill His plan. We have faith that God will provide as evidenced by a few of the things that have have taken place in the last few days around the financial support.
Within a few days of officially announcing our call to pursue adopting Makc, Alona, and Natasha, we received word from the school that because I had volunteered to coach the girls middle school basketball team, they were going to tear up the $55 check we wrote to cover the fees and they would be supplying Keely with shoes! Money straight into the account. Gas prices falling to levels half the cost compared to a month ago... saving money now! A check that came in the mail with a note saying that the senders were praying for the adoption and to use the gift towards the home study expense, and many more examples. Through the gifts and prayers of so many, we were able to start the home study, the first phase of the process costing almost $2,000 in the first few days, not in weeks or months. God is good.
If that doesn't show how awesome God is, then how about this. Today, we learned that enough money has been given towards the adoption that the dossier can be started! The dossier expense is over $8,000. That's right, over $10,000 has been given towards the adoption of Makc, Alona, and Natasha in a matter of a few weeks, not months or even years!
If all goes well, we hope to have all our paperwork (that's Jenny's job) complete before the end of the year! We know that there will be lots of challenges ahead, like the $25,000+ needed by the time we are invited to travel (maybe spring!). We also know that God is bigger than anything we will face.
When we started seriously talking about the idea of adopting these precious children a few months ago, we kept asking a lot of "how?" questions. We know how - God. We will continue to hold onto the knowledge that God has called our family to adopt Makc, Alona, and Natasha and have faith that His plan will be accomplished.
Thank you for you prayers and support. They are greatly needed and appreciated. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Blessings <><,
David
Friday, November 7, 2008
Paperwork needs to be in Ukraine by January
We found out some very important information last night! We found out the kids will be available for international adoption in March 2009. We weren't sure when this date would be in 2009. We also found out that the orphanage director assumed we are adopting the kids and went ahead and told them this information. We hadn't planned on sharing this information with the kids yet. Oh well! The news is they are so excited about this, and they talk about us every day. The facilitator's exact words to adoption agency were, "Tell them to hurry up and get over here and get these kids!" As much as I was wanting to move at my own pace in this process, I'm so thankful that the kids do have hope and are eager about their future. Our timetable to get over there in March 2009 means we need to have all the completed paperwork (dossier) in the Ukraine by the first of January! We want to be one of the first dossiers over there in January, so we can get that early date in March. Please pray for the money to come in quickly so we can get all of the paperwork started.
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