Here are a few photos from Wednesday, the 24th. We have many more on Tim's Facebook page, with descriptions. The link to see them is:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=166149&id=732820665&l=9848f1c591

And, no, you do NOT have to be a Facebooker to view them. The album is set for open viewing. Enjoy!!

Deuteronomy 2:7 – ‘For the Lord your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these forty years, the Lord your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing.’

God has been so good to us throughout this journey. When we arrived at the SDA offices this morning, Yulia indicated they were ready for us to go right in. We walked in, exchanged introductions, read the paperwork regarding the girls’ background, showed the SDA worker several photos of our family and of the time Alyona was visiting over the holidays, and we were done. We were in & out of there in LESS THAN TEN MINUTES!! We can go back tomorrow, Friday afternoon, between 3:00 & 4:00pm to pick up our referral to go see the girls!

What does that mean? 1) We will leave by train on Friday night and arrive in Odessa on Saturday morning. 2) On Monday we will check in with the regional SDA office, then head to Balta to complete whatever local paperwork is necessary to see Alyona. Our prayers are that the director will allow Alyona to stay with us from that point on. 3) We will then travel to Kiliya and complete the same process to meet Kristina for the first time. (I so cannot wait to see her! I hope she will allow us to hug her, and show her we love her, and have since the first time we first saw her picture.) Please pray that she, too, can stay with us. 4) Then, we will have to make the decision of where to file the paperwork for court. There has been some question of whether it will be better to work through the Balta or the Kiliya court. Then, we wait until whatever date court gets scheduled. We will be staying in Odessa for most of the remainder of our stay in Ukraine. There will be periodic day trips out to whichever city we have court. Otherwise, we will get to do some traveling on the country roads and get to see some more of Ukraine. YEAH for us.

We have had a great time while in Kiev. Oles took us around yesterday for about four hours and showed us some beautiful sites. Then he had to go to the office to do some work. He left us alone in a foreign town. What was he ever thinking? He does not know us very well. (Joking!!!!) We came back to our flat for a few minutes, regrouped, then off we went, map in hand and sights to see. We wanted to go down to the Dnipro river. So we walked, and walked, and walked some more. Finally, we came around a corner and there was the start of what turned out to be some of the most beautiful churches and sites we have seen. We went in some places I am sure most tourists don't ever go, but we like to see what lies in those hidden places. You can find some great gems. After hours of walking & looking, it was turning dark, so we needed to head back toward our flat. Don’t know how far we walked yesterday, but it seemed like ten miles. So, let’s see. We walked: Sunday=6 Monday=10 Tuesday=6 Wednesday=10. Wow! That's 32 miles in four days. I am not sure Tim, or my feet, knew we were coming to train for a marathon. Hehehe!!

Please keep praying for safe travel, and a smooth process.

Lynn

Deuteronomy 1:6-7 -- "When we were at Mount Sinai, the Lord our God said to us, 'You have stayed at this mountain long enough. It is time to break camp and move on.

Well, the day finally arrived for us to move on in this journey. We got up early Saturday morning to finish all the last minute things which had to be done. (It is now Wednesday; and I am amazed. At this moment I have not come up with anything I forgot to do, or left at home. I am sure I will come across something.) I had taken our suitcases to the airport on Saturday morning to weigh them, to make sure we were OK on weight. It was a good thing because both had to go back home and quickly lose some weight. Tim’s needed to lose 1.8 pounds and mine needed to lose 1.6 pounds. In the overall scheme of life 3.4 pounds doesn't sound like much, but when struggling to fit in everything one might need for six weeks, well... When I got back home my parents were waiting for me to take us to breakfast, then to the airport. We finished up the last few things, then as we were going to get in the car my mom said she wanted to take a picture of us. Next thing you know, she pulled out a sign she had made that said “GO GET OUR GIRLS”. So, we took a picture of all of us with our stuff; and then off we went to breakfast. Later, when we got to the airport, we went to check in and weigh the suitcases again. This time Tim’s was 50.0 pounds on the nose; and mine was under by 1.3 pounds. We let out a big hoot. After all our goodbyes we were off to go through security. What an experience that was. We had a good flight from Jackson to Charlotte, NC. When we got there we found an outlet to plug in our laptops and got on line for a little while. That was a good thing. Our flight from North Carolina to Munich was okay. We did not get to sit next to each other, which was not good, but I made it. For those of you who have prayed for me for the plane ride I THANK YOU. It worked! Lufthansa is the only way to fly. The service was great, and for the food was awesome. When we got to Munich we went right through customs, found our way to the Subway, and to the hotel.

I now have a new appreciation for what the girls will feel like. When we got off the plane and everything was in German, which of course we can't read or speak, it really highlighted what the girls’ life will be like. We had a good time, though, and never got lost. They have good maps that are easy to read.

After we checked into our hotel we were off again. We took the subway out to Olympic Park and BMW Welt (World). They have some real cute BMW's there that we don't have at home. From there we went all over the park. The Olympics were held there back in summer of 1972; and Munich has put in a bid for the winter of 2018. They were doing a lot of work on the buildings to start getting ready. We hiked up to the top off the high hill overlooking the park and all of Munich. The view was out of this world. One thing that amazed me is how many bikes and walkers there are there. You don't see many heavy people around. After we finished that we got back on the subway and went back to the hotel so we could go and eat. We had authentic German food in a cute little place down the hill from the hotel. Tim was so tired after we ate, but I had a new burst of energy. So we were going to walk across the street to get a couple of pictures of a church. Well, that walk ended up into about a THREE mile hike through the park and streets. When we got back to the hotel we discovered Internet access was NOT included. We had to pay separate for it. €20 (Euros), or THIRTY DOLLARS, a day!! At that, Tim decided to just lay down on the bed. I went in to wash my face; and he was right about being tired. In less than two minutes I heard him snoring. He slept great all night. Me, on the other hand, not so good.

The next morning we got up and took the subway again, but this time we went and got on a “hop on/hop off” bus tour. You ride around as they describe the famous and/or interesting sites throughout the city. Whenever you want, you can hop off to go investigate something more closely. Then you can go back around as many times as you would like and get on and off at different stops. That was a fun day. The last stop dropped us off “somewhat” close to the hotel. So we just walked back to the room that night. We also had some good German food that day, but I can honestly say we did not over eat any. The food is very costly there. In fact, everything seemed costly. We could not figure out how people can afford to live there. The salaries have to be high. By the time we were back to the hotel we figure we walked about ten miles that day. Then, on Tuesday morning I got up went for my three mile walk. Then, back to the hotel to pack, so we could continue on with the adventure. The flight from Munich to Kiev was good. The service at the Munich airport ticket counter was outstanding. We Americans sure could take some lessons from them. Even with literally hundreds of people attempting to get boarding passes and turn in luggage, our total wait in line was less than TEN minutes. Chalk one up for German organization & efficiency!!

Deuteronomy 1:30-33 -- The Lord your God is going ahead of you. He will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt. And you saw how the Lord your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place.' "But even after all he did, you refused to trust the Lord your God, who goes before you looking for the best places to camp, guiding you with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day.

When we got to Ukraine we got off the plane and there was a gentleman waiting for us to take us through customs. We went right on through. While he was doing our paperwork another man took us to go get our bags. We finished at about the same time. All told, less than ten minutes; and we were done! God keeps showing me over and over how He has it all under control. I just need to trust Him. It was nice to come around the corner and see a smiling face we recognized. Oles and Julia were waiting for us. Oles had car trouble getting to Kiev, so he had to fly in from Odessa to meet us. Then, we were off to our flat which will be home for the next few days. We had looked at some places online. Some were nice; and some were not so nice, but where we are is nice. (Thank you, Oles! You did good!) We will get pictures posted soon. We sent the evening with Oles. He showed us around Independence Square and the underground mall. We went for authentic Ukrainian food. It really was good. Then, back to the room and onto the internet. It’s amazing, nowadays, how disconnected you can feel without Internet access. I would not have wanted to go through this ten years ago without Internet availability and mobile phones. Later in the evening we Skyped with my mom & dad, and Christopher. Then we called my best friend Vicky. It is something to think you can call around the world and it cost nothing.

Well, we have a busy day of sightseeing planned for today and whatever else we can find to do.

Lynn

Joshua 4:1 -- Now when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua…

After the people safely crossed the river what would be next? Conquering the land? Not yet. First God directed them to build a memorial of stones drawn from the river. It may not have seemed important in their mission, but God did not want His people to plunge into a task unprepared. They were to focus on Him and remember who was guiding them. As we are busy going about our day doing our God given tasks, set aside quiet moments, times to build our own memorial to God's power. Too much activity may shift your focus away from God.

I cannot believe how faithful God has been in this whole adventure. When I can't see it working, He comes in and shows me who is in control. And I am learning to “leave it at the cross”. When I submitted to God on doing this, I thought GOD was crazy. I am too old. I can't afford this. Why me? My kids are grown and out of the house. And the list can go on and on. But while I cannot do it on my own. I can with God.

Tim and I mailed out some fundraising letters several weeks ago to family, friends, and co-workers; and we waited, most of the time patiently, but not always trusting God. In just the last few days, though, GOD provided more than $1000. We still have not reached the goal for what we need, but I can see how God is bringing us closer to it. Tim reminded me several weeks ago that the Israelites had to step into the Jordan for the water to stop flowing, and that we quite probably would need to step on the plane for the rest of the funds we needed to come in. So we wait on the Lord, and He IS providing. It is THREE hours until our plane leaves; and I sit here at peace. I am not worrying about anything. GOD is working over there, as I sit here.

I am not sure of how much Internet access we will have once we are in Ukraine, but I will post as often as I can. Thank you again for all the prayers you all have said for us. We now are going to bring the girls home to the “promised land”, a land of milk and honey, a nation which is clearly the richest on earth. Let them shine bright for the LORD. Let them learn their plan that God wants them to take; and let no man stand between them and God. Talk to you all when we get over the BIG pond.

Lynn

Exodus 13:21 -- The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they may travel by day and by night.

God gave the Hebrews pillars of cloud and fire so they would know day and night that GOD was with them on their journey to the promised land. God has given me the same assurance of this morning. The Bible was not something the Israelites had, but we need to look at it for GOD’s direction in our life. We can look at God’s Word as a map on how we are to live out the life He calls us to. I have been struggling the last week with hear what I was not sure was not God, but after much prayer I have settled it. I was hearing, “Are you sure you heard right?” “Are you really supposed to adopt?” See, at first, everything went so fast and smoothly, but then there were some bumps. It has been difficult to remain confident that God’s timing is always the best. I am so looking forward to going and bring the girls home, to show them God’s love for them.

We are down to just 1 1/2 days before we leave. It seems surreal. We have waited a long time for this to come. I had a friend say, ”It is just like being pregnant, but only on paper. You still go through all the hormone changes, and the nesting, wanting everything to be perfect when you bring the baby home. Then, you have the papa who does not get it. We want the house clean, their room done just right.” (I think they say the first 15 seconds is the best impression; and I want to make the best one I can.) The thing is, I can leave the house clean, but I am not coming home with Tim. He will be here for 3-4 weeks by himself. Not that he is not clean. It is just he does not run the vacuum and dust. But he will be busy with work, getting the pool ready for the summer, and hopefully putting in my new cook top. Hint, hint! So in the scheme of life is it a big deal? NO. That is why I am not going to let it get to me. Or at least try not to.

I feel ready to go. Both boys are taken care of. Parents have new phone, TV & Internet. It may have been too much to give them all at one time, but my mom is doing great. We will be able to Skype with them and make phone calls as long as we have Internet, so that made her happy, and me, too! Cats have someone to come and feed them every day. Everything is pulled together, just waiting to close and zip the suitcase shut. And, then, we will be off, and the next part of this Journey begins. So make sure you follow along.

Thanks again for the prayers. I can feel them all as I am sure Tim can, too.

Lynn

Colossians 1:16-17: For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

I have been thinking of this verse all week. With so much going on in our lives, so many changes over the horizon, and so much weakness on my part, I find peace and courage in this verse. I feel so overwhelmed and fearful at times, uncertain of my calling, then I remember that I do not have to hold it all together. He does. I have had a few moments the past few days when I think, “I can't do this,” or, “Why me, God?” Then, He reminds me that I cannot do it, but He can. Sometimes am so selfish. I want to put my flesh before Him and others. I guess it was like when I was pregnant… I could not see how much joy my children would bring into my life. Now, I can't imagine my life without them. Thank you, JESUS, for giving them to me.

I had a friend from church post something on Facebook the other night about not being able to adopt because of her age, but she said she would like to help with some funding as she was sure it cost a lot. Then, she said if everyone we knew gave a little it would add up to a lot. Well, yes, it would. By the time we all get home we will have spent about $30,000. That is a mind blowing number. Then I sat down and did some math. I figured out how many days we would have each girl until they turn eighteen and divided that number by the total adoption expense. It came to $5.75 per child per day to change their lives forever. That seems like so little when compared to the life they would have if they stay where they are at. We are going to change their eternity. I am so thankful helping with that. We live in such a blessed world and yet take it so for granted.

Prayers:
- I have a plan which includes cooperation by judges and other Ukrainian officials. My plan may fail, but that is OK, for every authority in Ukraine was created by Him and for Him. Thus, I can be at peace, knowing His timing will be perfect.

- Travel to and from Ukraine. Tim will be staying three to four weeks, then I will be in a foreign country by myself. For those of you who know me, that could be scary for all involved! :-)

- God’s direction on where we are to stay while there. Tim needs the best Internet access he can get in order to be able to work while over there.

- The rest of the funds to come in. We have purchased the tickets, believing in faith.

Lynn

Well... the call I have been waiting for came in today at 10:03a.m. I was upstairs at a customer’s house when I heard the cell phone ring downstairs. Off I ran. I definitely was not going to miss it. We had expected the call would come in on March 2nd. Then, we were told to expect it on March 4th, but it took until today, March 9th. Every evening, for the last five weeks, I have asked my Tim, “Did you hear from Oles today?” Some days the answer would be, “Yes,” but not with the information I was so waiting to hear. Our SDA appointment will be March 25th at noon. I almost cannot believe it. It was like being told when you are going to give birth, only with no diapers and bottles! I have had to keep pinching myself all day to confirm I was not dreaming. I cannot believe we will be leaving in less than two weeks. I have most of my stuff ready to go. Or at least I hope I do. I will need to repack a few things, as we will have warmer weather than we had first anticipate. I hear Ukraine is beautiful in the spring time. I am so looking forward to learning more about the country our girls come from. I want them to be able to see a little of it while we are there. We have some friends who are over there adopting right now; and they went to see the Nutcracker the other night. They said it was fantastic. I would love to get to take the girls while we’re in Odessa.

On a sad note, we will not be here for Easter this year. We will also miss the 21st birthday of our youngest son. Somehow we will find a way to make it up to him. I am not sure telling we are giving him two sisters would be much of a gift! I know he understands, or at least that is what I am telling myself. Hehehe!!

Please continue to pray for us. Safe travel, finances, sleep, and always seeking Him...

Lynn

I received this verse a couple weeks ago, as a devotional. It reminded me of two points. First, as believers, we are ALL adopted into the family of God. Second, God has demonstrated His love for us by sending His own Son for us. We demonstrate our love for Him by loving those the world considers unlovable, or unworthy...

Tim


VERSE: This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. -- 1 John 4:9

THOUGHT: Love is an action. The Bible stresses this truth again and again. Love must not only be spoken, it must also be shown. The beginning of love is God. He showed his love in the most sacrificial of ways so we could know our incredible value to him. The price of our adoption was the emptying of heaven of its greatest treasure, God the Son, who is our Savior.

PRAYER: Loving Father, thank you for adopting me into your family. I can never thank you enough or repay you for your kindness, but please receive the service of my life as my ongoing thanksgiving for your grace and my small way of trying to share the love you have given me. Through my Brother and my Ransom I pray. Amen.

I want to thank everyone who has prayed with us over the last seven months. Last night I put a post out on Facebook for all my friends to pray; and it worked! When I went to bed last night, I laid there and prayed for about a half hour, then fell asleep. Our paperwork was to be submitted this morning in Ukraine. Tim awoke, with a start, at 4:00am; and said he immediately felt he needed to pray, so he did. Well, it must have been about the time the SDA was reviewing everything. When they were finished, they said everything looked good; and nothing needed to be redone. YEAH!!! I think last night was the best night sleep I have had in weeks. I guess I knew GOD was going to do a miracle. When our translator (Oles) called Tim with the news, we also learned that next week we should receive notification of our SDA appointment. As well, we were informed that both of the girls are in the system and are officially eligible to be adopted! Tim mentioned to Oles how neat it was that our friends who are there, and adopting from the same orphanage, got to take their son stay with them during the 10-day wait period. Oles went on to say the director has already told him that when we get there we will be able to have Alyona stay with us. As a result, she will get to see Kristina even more quickly than I had thought. If all goes well, we are hoping to travel the second week of March. I can't believe we are almost ready to go. It would be so cool if we get a call this week with the travel date, but it is all in God’s timing. I have so much to do in such a short period of time, but I would find a way to be ready if they said, “Be here next week.” Who needs sleep anyway?!?! Well, I am going to get started packing. I will post again as soon as we have our appointment date. Again, thank you for the prayers; and please keep them coming.

Lynn

Life may throw a constant stream of hardships our way, but how often do we stop to consider that because of God's perfect love for us, these hardships could actually be part of His perfect plan for our lives? Our task is neither to embrace these hardships, nor to necessarily seek more of them. Rather, our task is simply to rely on God and know His love for us in the midst of those hardships. In difficult times, our invitation is to press closer to the Lord.

It seems strange to think it has been only been twenty-nine (29) weeks since we started the process officially. God has brought us so far in this journey; and I know He is not done yet. He is trying to teach me to be patient—to wait on Him, as His ways are always the best. I find myself laying it down at the cross, then sometimes, when I am not thinking about it, I have ran back and picked it back up again. I get so mad at myself for doing that, but someday I may learn that lesson. Until then, God just keeps reminding me to let Him have it.

It amazes me how many times the same people will ask me, “Why did you decide to adopt when your children are grown and out of the house?” We did not choose when and where to adopt from. God decided this for us. In God's eyes children and love have no boundaries. All of us are His children. He doesn't differentiate between countries, laws, and nor man made rules. We found out about the girls from a friend who has been to Ukraine, and how they will have a very dismal life and little hope for a happy future. That day a seed was planted in us and began to take root. We asked, “Lord do you want us to pursue this adoption?” We are open to what God has in store for us. We received our answer, and so began our journey.

We have a heart for young people. I want to make sure you know we are not saints, we are everyday people. We are not a perfect family. We have not been perfect parents. We have made mistakes and will continue to. I am sure the kids won't arrive here and fit in perfectly, but neither did our biological children. I am sure my kids thought, sarcastically, “Wow! More kids to share Mom & Dad and our resources with! That’s a great idea!” (But after Alyona being here I think their initial opinions are dramatically changing.) I am sure there will be times when the girls will think we are not overjoyed, either, even though they know the future for the kids that remain behind. They have seen firsthand the life the older kids have when put out on the street.

We have learned that Grandma does know Alyona came to our house for the holidays. Also, while the girls must each express to the court their desire to be adopted, should Grandma actually follow through with pursuing guardianship their opinions will not even be taken into consideration. The government will not care one iota that the girls really don’t want to go with Grandma. Not that it is a race to see who gets done first, nor are we trying to steal her granddaughters. We just want them to have so much more than will be available to them in Ukraine or in Russia. Plus, we don’t want to terminate their family ties. We would love for them to keep in touch; and hopefully someday we can take a family trip back to see them.

For those of you that are self-employed, be advised, it is a pain to go through this process. We have not historically used a CPA for our taxes, just a tax preparer; and I am the only employee. So the SDA will not accept my tax returns, nor a letter from me regarding my income. Instead, we have had to have the last six months of my deposits looked over by a CPA and sworn to be true, and notarized, and, yes, Apostilled, to submit with the dossier. All said, though, we do have a submission date: February 23rd. I am so excited!! Hopefully, after that, we get an appointment for the first part of March. Then the travel planning begins. I can't wait for the next part of the journey. I used to refer to this as a roller coaster ride, but journey sounds more peaceful to those who are faint at heart. :-)

Please keep praying; and I hope you all have a great Valentine’s Day!

Lynn

But Moses said to the people "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see again forever. The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent." -- Exodus 14:13-14

The Lord showed a couple things during my reading this morning…

It has not been the day I had prayed for, but overall it will be OK. There have been times in this journey GOD has taken us on the shortest route He could in bringing the girls home. Then, there have been times we have hit some road block, or ended up on a detour, or have sat on the side of the road, stopped, waiting patiently, to see what He had for us, as we waited with "Expecting Faith". Today was an especially hard day. We thought all our paperwork would be submitted. As it turns out, that is not how things worked out. Out translator instead suggested we submit it almost in phases, over a period of a few days. I don't fully understand the specifics, but do trust his judgment. None-the-less, it was not what I expected to hear this morning. After that news, we then found out that Grandma has been to Balta again to visit Alyona. She apparently informed the Balta director that the girls are not to be adopted because she is working on filing papers to get custody of them (which we basically already knew). We just did not expect her to visit again so soon. We also do not know what, or if, she knows anything about Alyona visiting us at Christmas. And we do not know if the girls have any choice whether or not they want to go live with her. The director has apparently asked the grandmother for contact information, but she did not, or possibly would not, leave it.

With all that said, please be in prayer for Tim and I. We both feel weary from this journey. I know this is just one more attack from Satan. He is trying to make me doubt myself whether I really did hear GOD. YES, Satan, I did hear from Him. God does not want any kids to stay in a place like that. I do know we must stay prayed up and prepared for any battle which might come our way. I feel trapped, though, like we will never get them home... Like all the governments hearts are hardened towards the children all around the world, not just in Ukraine. With GOD on our side, though, and our eyes on the prize, HE will accomplish getting them home. He does not need my help. We need to continue praying... waiting... expecting to His glory shine from heaven... when HE is finished. And whenever we feel overtaken we must cry out to the LORD, as He is there for us. The Israelites had to step out, in faith, into the Jordan River before the water would stop. We, too, must keep taking steps of faith to follow God. I have read many blogs where people take TWO to THREE YEARS to get their children. We even know some of them personally. It has only six months for us, though, so GOD has already done great and mighty things for us.

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank all of our families and friends for their continued support. For those of you who have helped us financially... THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Every little bit helps!! And thanks to those who have been faithful to pray for us and who will continue as we go on our way!!

Lynn

It has been a hard and emotional month. I miss Justin a lot; and the house is so quiet with Alyona gone. No wrestling on the floor, or laughter as we try to figure out what each other is saying. But this too will be pass, soon, I hope. It is hard to believe it is almost the 1st of February. I was not sure we would get to that day, but here we are! Our dossier is supposed to be submitted on Monday. We have had a few last minute things the Ukrainian government now wants. So, more paperwork, notarizations, and Apostilles. You would think that a state background check, along with the FBI background check, would be enough, but they now want an Interpol check.

In hopes of hearing of a quick travel date, I have started packing my stuff today with "expecting faith". Tim also pulled some of his things together, as he will be real busy getting the last minute stuff at work finished. At least I can help with some of home & packing preparations for him. I guess we will live off the bed in the guest bedroom for the next few weeks, as that is where most of our clothes are. I was very surprised when I put most all of my stuff in the suitcase to see how much it weighed. I was shocked. It was only 32 pounds! YEAH, me! I will be able to make it. (I hope anyway.)

On a side note, please be praying for us. We are still short some funds, but they will come in on GOD's timing. He has supplied all the money up to know, right as we have needed it. I received this devotion today and wanted to share it with y'all:

Good to the Last Drop

For thus says the LORD God of Israel: "The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth. -- 1 Kings 17:14

When Corrie ten Boom was in the Nazi death camp of Ravensbruck, her sister Betsie became desperately ill. Corrie had a little bottle of Davitamon, and she was torn whether to hoard the vitamin for Betsie or to share it with other sick inmates. Betsie reminded Corrie of the story of the widow in 1 Kings 17, and of God's ability to make a little go a long way. She was convinced God could replenish the supply as needed. At first, Corrie scoffed at the idea; but to her amazement, the bottle always seemed to have a little more in it.

"Every time I tilted the little bottle," she said, "a drop appeared at the top of the glass stopper. It just couldn't be! I held it up to the light, trying to see how much was left, but the dark brown glass was too thick to see through."

We can trust God with our needs. He is able to make a little go further than we think, and He delights in replenishing the bin of flour and the jar of oil.

I rely upon Him. I commit the whole work to Him, and He will provide me with what I need, in future also, though I know not whence the means are to come. -- George Muller

Hope y'all have a good week. I will post as soon as we know anything.

Lynn

We're back from DC and taking Alyona back to Dulles. It has been a hard week with Justin moving to Minnesota on December 28th, then Alyona leaving on January 3rd. Needless to say, I have cried a lot this week, but I will fill you in on some of the events since the last post.

We had a wonderful holiday. On Christmas Eve afternoon, we took her to the movies for what was possibly her first time. I think she had a great time. We went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks. She laughed hard and even at the right times! It was a good movie as they are hard to understand so we all had to listen closely. After the movies we went home and did our hair--she loves using hot rollers. Then we went to Christmas Eve service at church. She was so sweet. They had all the kids go up front to listen to a reading of the Christmas story. I was not sure she would go, but she did. After church we had my parents and the Tygarts over for light hoers d oeuvres’. After eating, we watched the movie, The Nativity. It was a good movie. I would recommend it to everyone. She sat and intently watched the whole thing. After the Tygarts left we started preparing for Christmas breakfast & dinner. She helped make the stuffing, then homemade cinnamon rolls. She is such a good help in the kitchen; and she seems to love to cook. Then we played around a little and off to bed. Both boys came home for the weekend; and my parents spent the night along with their dog. Alyona loves their dog, she covers her up, and puts her to bed, and tries to spoon-feed her when my mom is not looking. Of course, Mom knows, but says nothing.

Christmas morning was great. She slept in until about 9:30am, then the boys made me go wake her up. They could not stand waiting any longer. She helped Tim pass out the presents and was such a good helper. He would say who to give them to; and she would take it to them. When he would say her name, she looked so shocked like, "For me?" After a few gifts, she was not sure they were really meant for her. She got a baby doll, a porcelain Disney doll (Bell) from Grandma & Grandpa. A Disney doll (Cinderella), a stuffed dog, a bag and clothes for the dog, and a few other small items, but she loved them all. We then ate the cinnamon rolls she had helped make the night before. She didn't like them, though, so she only picked at them. When we ate lunch later, the turkey was a big hit. She helped clean the bones. I mean there was nothing left on them. She had some turkey and celery; and that was all she would try. We have had a hard time getting her even to try things. She really might have liked them if she would have at least tried them. For the most part of the day she played in her room or was outside with the boys.

We had to go to do some shopping Saturday morning; and she is not much of a shopper. It is okay if it is for her, but she was a trooper for most of it. We went home and assembled some of her furniture. I am not sure she understood that it was for her. She will definitely understand when she comes home to stay and sees it all her room!

Sunday morning was church. Then most of the day was at home doing nothing. She does seem to get bored easy, but I guess she normally has so many kids to play with. It can then be hard to be the only child. I didn't have to work Monday so we just ran some errands, went to see Tim, then back home to being bored again. We had our friends, the Brookers, over for dinner. After dinner, we sat down to talk with Alyona. We wanted to see what she would think of being adopted by us. I definitely was not ready for all we heard. She stated that she has another sister. At first I thought, "See. I knew we were supposed to do our home study for three. Now what?" Then she informed us the other sister is an adult and has child of her own. WOW! Then she said she had a few more aunts & uncles than we had known about. Two of them apparently visited here sometime last spring and told her they would not leave her in the orphanage, but she hasn't seen nor heard from them. Also, sometime early in the summer, before Alyona had received our letters, her grandmother had come and asked if she would like her to become the girls' guardian, but Alyona told her she needed to think about it for a few days. The next time Grandma came back to visit she didn't say anything more about it. As we finished talking that night I was not sure she did want us to adopt her. Then, at bedtime she did not want me to read to her or really help her get ready for bed.

The next morning I had to work so Christopher came to stay with her. When she woke up she was very quiet and did not want to eat. When I picked her up, we went in to Jackson to see Tim as he was finishing some revisions on the adoption paperwork. We spent most of the afternoon in his office. She was not so quiet, then. We left and went to pick up her friend Anastasia to spend the night as the girls were going to spend Wednesday at my mom's house. Moises, our exchange student "son" called to say he and his family were visiting from Mexico so we had them over for dinner that night. When Moises came in he gave me a big hug and kiss, then his family did the same. Alyona just stood there watching. It could not have worked out better. During our conversation, the night before, she had also informed us her grandma told her if she came to the U.S. we would lock her in a cage, and beat her, and not feed her. Grandma also said that in some cases Americans sell the kid's body parts. Alyona asked Anastasia why that family came to our home and then hugged & kissed me. Anastasia told her it was because her grandma had lied to her about us. Alyona & Anastasia played on the Wii that night, then watched The Nativity again. Her, Tim, and Anastasia played and wrestled together for quite a while before bed.

Wednesday morning my mom came to stay with the girls until they woke up. She then took them to her house. As I was pulling out of the driveway, after picking them up, I asked Anastasia to question Alyona if she was looking forward to going back to the orphanage. She responded, "Yes," with a big smile. Then, as we drove home, she asked about a building we had passed, so I took her back to show her. It was the school she would attend if she lived here. Then I showed her what would be Kristina's school. She asked me why they would not be at the same school. I explained that our schools keep the older and younger kids apart so the younger ones don't get bullied or beat up. "Oh," was all she said. Later on, after we had arrived home, I was making a phone call and Alyona came running through the house. She was speaking Russian so fast I had no idea what was wrong. About that time, Anastasia came behind her. I asked what Alyona was saying. She said she wanted to come and live here and be our forever child. I fell to my knees, we were hugging, and I was crying. I totally forgot I was on the phone. When I went back to it the man on the other end said he was sorry to over hear what had been said, but it was the best New Year's gift he could have heard. We then called Tim. As you can guess I was a mess! We went to church that night my face was so big with a smile that everyone was asking what was up.

Her & I spent the day together on Thursday. It was my last day with her all to myself. I tried to get as much of her as I could. We were then going to the Brookers for a New Year's Eve party. We had so much fun. There was about fifteen of us there. We ate authentic Russian food prepared by Svetlana. It was so good. Shortly after midnight, we sat down with Alyona & Svetlana and made sure she still did want to be adopted (and she said yes!). I came home that night and slept so good.

Friday morning, it was time to pack her stuff to head toward DC. We left about 10:00am. It was a long day in the car. We finally stopped about 2:00am. We had kept on driving much longer than expected because it was snowing and we wanted to get as close to DC as possible. I am not sure she had ever been in a hotel before as when we walked in you could see the amazement on her face; and we only stayed at a Jameson Inn. Nothing fancy to us, but to her she loved it. She was so funny when she noticed the fan made out of a washcloth in the bathroom. Earlier that evening was also the first time she had ever seen a drinking fountain. She has shown me how much we take for granted in America.

Saturday morning we made it to DC. We parked and got out to walk to the Washington monument, it was so windy we had to hang on to her as she may have blown away. It was so cold that day, too. There were times when Tim and Christopher would go see something; and she would not want to get out of the car. No matter how cold it was we had a great time and made a lot of memories. That night we stayed in DC and ordered pizza into the room. She would not even try it. I felt so bad those times that she would not eat what we were eating, but there wasn't much we could do. Once the girls get here they will learn to try more American foods.

Sunday was spent seeing the last few things we missed the day before. I didn't think it could be colder than the day before, but it was. I thought Chicago was the windy city, but, apparently, it was DC's turn! I spent most of the day thinking about the last 15 days and how she has changed our lives forever. I hope we have had the same impact on her. I want her to go home and pray that we get there soon for her and for Kristina. It was so hard to say good-bye, but really, it was just, “See you in a few months!"

Lynn

Well, I made to Washington DC and back. It was a long, hard trip for all of us.

We left here on Tuesday evening at about 5:00pm central time. We made it to DC by 8:00am the next morning. We stopped for breakfast at Bob Evans, but Josh did not like it. He has a hard time finding food in America that he likes. I did not completely comprehend that until now. We thought it would be fun to take him into DC and let him some new sites. Well... he got to see all of about TWO HOURS of traffic; and we never even went more than 10 miles per hour. I could never move back to a big city! Or I should say, "Please, Lord, don't move me to a big city?!?!" I have learned not to tell GOD what I will not do. My life seems to be much easier that way. We then decided to try to locate the airport so we knew where to go. I was not sure we would ever find it. But after about an hour and asking a few people we did make it there. It is a good thing that we are women or we might still be driving around!! :-) HeHeHe! After finding where we needed to go, we went to Kmart, got gas, and then back to the airport to park and take a much-needed nap.

The plane was a little late; and that makes for more nerves. I was so ready to finally see and meet her. Over the last several months, I have built a relationship with her in my mind, but in reality, she knows hardly anything about me. She had a few letters and a couple of pictures, but Grandma had seen them. I am not sure what Grandma possibly said to her about them. Alyona may have been thinking, "This can't be good. Grandma is going to be mad." Once we hugged a few times, though, she was fine. During our wait time, Josh ran into a few people he knew from his former orphanage in Odessa. There was one girl he used to beat up. He was able to apologize to her, so that alone was worth bringing him. He got addresses of few people who have been adopted and now live in the States. We spent a little while visiting with people in the airport. Once the children came off the plane, Josh helped some other families talk to their children. He is such a sweet young man and so good with kids. I could see him being called into some kind of youth ministry. While waiting for our paperwork to come in, Alyona needed to use the bathroom. Well, I never thought to tell her about the automatic flush toilets. She sat down and, poor thing, the toilet flushed all by itself! It was sucking her in!!! Her eyes were huge, like, "Why did I need to use this thing?" But I was able to "save" her before she was sucked out to sea!

After we got her picked up, we went to spend the night with Vicky's brother, Brian, and his family. They live about five miles from the airport, but we were driving on the Interstate at 6:00pm so guess what, we got stuck in traffic again. We did make it there in time to have dinner with them. Brian's wife, Reco, made chicken, salmon, and pasta in a red sauce. It was very good, but Alyona would not eat anything. After dinner, we went to take our bath, but I am not sure she has ever been in a bathtub before. She seemed to like it. I do not think I could have gotten into that water it, though. It was just lukewarm, if not more cold, but it was the way she wanted it. She told Josh they only shower ONE time per week, so getting her to shower every day while here has been strange to her, but she does seem to be liking it. After her bath, she was able to play with Brian's kids. It did not seem to matter they did not speak the same language. They just made it work. I opened up some raisins when we went downstairs to go to bed. Each time I ate a couple she would also have some. At least I got something down her. Thank you, Jesus, for the small favors.

We all slept hard that night, but had to be awake by 4:00am to leave for home. I wonder what was going through her head. It was a hard trip home for her. We had hardly gone about forty-five minutes when she got sick the first of many times. We moved her to the front seat and that helped. At least it did until we gave her the PC to watch a DVD, then she got sick again. We were somewhat worried because she would not eat or drink anything the rest of the way home. We did make it home... after EIGHTEEN LONG HOURS. The GPS got us to DC the shortest way, but for some reason it did not bring us home the same direction. We missed a turn, or did something else wrong. By the way, did I say it was the LONGEST eighteen-hour trip I think I have ever been on? We did finally make it here. When we unloaded the car, Alyona took my stuff into her room and unpacked it into hers drawers. I do not think she understood that we were home and I would sleep with Tim. Her face lit up when we took her into her room. She went straight to the Christmas tree to check it out. I was so glad she liked it. Then, it was time for bed, as I had to work on Friday.

Christopher and Tim stayed home Friday morning to sit with Alyona while I went to work. It was good for all three of them to get to play together and just have fun. My parents came over to see her while I was working. I wish I could have been there, but I needed to be an adult and go earn some money! They called and said she was the best. I am so glad they immediately fell in love with her as much as we already do. After I got home, we needed to run some errands. She was not too happy about getting back in the car again. Once we were buying her some things, though, she became OK with it. At one point, we did have to call Vicky to have Josh translate. They decided it would be easier to actually come to the store. We finally made it through the store. I let her pick out a little knitting machine. WOW! I don't know how you would do this if you didn't have people around to help you. THANK YOU, Josh and Vicky. =) We went to Walmart; and she helped pick out some things to eat, but some of them she apparently doesn't like, or should I say she now won't even try. After that, we all went to dinner at Ryan's. There were thirteen of us; and it was too much for her to handle. We had hoped that being a buffet bar she would find something to eat, but no such luck. She was not going to put anything in her mouth. After dinner, we went to Sam's Club to pick up a few things. She and Justin seemed to have a great time playing around. I was glad for that as he does not have much more time before he leaves for Minnesota. =(

We had a nice morning Saturday. Alyona was up early, very early. I heard a noise in the kitchen at 4:30am. When I walked in there, she was going through my pots & pans and organizing them. Later, Tim and her went through all the desk drawers throughout the house to see which pens worked and which didn't. We then ate breakfast. She had TWO bowls of cereal, a pear, a banana, and then she saw me make eggs and wanted to have "just one". Yes, she knew what "one" was. At dinner she would not try the chicken nor the potatoes that she had picked out while we were at the store. We had another girl, who had been adopted from the same orphanage Alyona lives in, come over and spend the night. She was adopted two years ago this February. We took both of them to Canton to see the Christmas lights. They had so much fun riding on the carousel ride. I made hot chocolate when we got home. Alyona she was so tired she had gone in to her room, put on her pajamas OVER HER CLOTHES, and climbed in bed! WOW! And she did not even have to be told to.

Sunday was a busy, busy day. We started at church. The girls went to our 8:00 am Sunday school class with us, then to their 9:30 class, then on to K.I.D.S. church at 11:00. They seemed to have a good time together. After church, we went to my mom and dad's house. I wanted Alyona to feel comfortable with them as they were going to watch her a few days over the next couple of weeks while I work. As it turned out Anastasia went with her. My mom made cookies with them, they watched TV, went for a tractor ride with my dad, ate cookies. They had so much fun they both want to go back. That is so great. Today my dad called me to say he was mad at me. When I asked him why he said because I did not work and the girls were not at their house.

Alyona and I ran some errands today and went shopping again. Then we went in to Jackson to see Tim and go to lunch with him. We also stopped at his corporate office to drop off some keys, but more importantly to show her off. Then, we went back to his building to show her off some more! When we came home this afternoon, we made six cakes to deliver tomorrow. Alyona was funny watching me make the cakes. I use a cake mix and a diet Sprite. When you pour in the Sprite it foams up a lot. She got such a kick out of that!

Some of the things she likes to do...
1) Ride bike
2) Play on the Wii. She is good at boxing and bowling.
Watch out you kids at the orphanage!
3) Shop and organize the shelves of the store, and my cart
4) Eat fruit, lots of it

Food is not going so well. She could eat her weight in fruit and French fries. But we cannot get meat down her. She does like pasta, too. I guess she is eating more than she would if she was at the orphanage. It is just hard to see her not eat a well-balanced meal. From the sound of it they pretty much only get a broth with a little vegetable in it and a piece of bread and peanuts. We will work on balance more once the English gets better.

I came across the following Christmas story a couple weeks ago:

Will the Christ Child Come?
Written by Gaye Willis

One Christmas we had an interesting experience that I would like to share. Halfway through December we were doing the regular evening things when there was a knock at the door. We opened it to find a small package with a beautiful ceramic lamb inside. We looked at the calendar and realized that the 12 days of Christmas were beginning! We waited excitedly for the next night's surprise and only then, with the gift of a matching shepherd, did we realize that the lamb was part of a nativity set.

Each night we grew more excited to see what piece we would receive. Each was exquisitely beautiful. The kids kept trying to catch the givers as we slowly built the scene at the manger and began to focus on Christ's birth.

On Christmas Eve, all the pieces were in place, all but the Baby Jesus. My 12-year-old son really wanted to catch our benefactors and began to devise all kinds of ways to trap them. He ate dinner in the minivan, watching and waiting, but no one came. Finally, we called him in to go through our family's Christmas Eve traditions. But before the kids went to bed, we checked the front step - - no Baby Jesus! We began to worry that my son had scared them off. My husband suggested that maybe they dropped the Jesus and there wouldn't be anything coming. Somehow, something was missing that Christmas Eve.

There was a feeling that things weren't complete. The kids went to bed and before I went to bed, I again checked to see if the Jesus had come - - no, the doorstep was empty... In our family, the kids can open their stockings when they want to, but they have to wait to open any presents until Dad wakes up. So one by one they woke up very early and I also woke up to watch them. Even before they opened their stockings, each child checked to see if perhaps during the night the Baby Jesus had come.

Missing that piece of the set seemed to have an odd effect. At least it changed my focus. I knew there were presents under the tree for me and I was excited to watch the children open their gifts, but first on my mind was the feeling of waiting for the ceramic Christ Child. We had opened just about all of the presents when one of the children found one more for me buried deep beneath the limbs of the tree.

He handed me a small package from my former visiting teaching companion. This woman was somewhat less-active in the church. I had been her visiting teacher for a couple of years and then, when she was asked to be a visiting teacher, she requested to go with me. I had learned over time they didn't have much for Christmas, so that their focus was on the children. It sounded like she didn't get many gifts to open, so I had always given her a small package -- new dish towels, the next year's Relief Society lesson manual -- not much, but something for her to open.

I was touched when at church on the day before Christmas, she had given me this small package, saying it was just a token of her love and appreciation. Then, on Christmas morning, as I took off the bow, I remembered my friendship with her and was filled with gratitude for knowing her and for her kindness and sacrifice in this giving me a gift. But as the paper fell away, I began to tremble and cry. There in the small brown box was the Baby Jesus! He had come!

I realized on that Christmas Day, that Christ will come into our lives in ways that we don't expect. The spirit of Christ comes into our hearts as we serve one another. We had waited and watched for Him to come, expecting the dramatic "knock at the door and scurrying of feet" but He came in a small, simple package that represented service, friendship, gratitude and love.

This experience taught me that the beginning of the true spirit of Christmas comes as we open our hearts and actively focus on the Savior. But we will most likely find Him in the small and simple acts of love, friendship and service that we give to each other. This Christmas I want to feel again the joy of knowing that Christ is in our home. I want to focus on loving and serving. More than that, I want to open
my heart to Him all year that I may see Him again.

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." -- Matthew 1:21 NIV

I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did. I think we may do this next year with our girls and a few other families. I want to teach the Kristina & Alyona that Christmas is about the birth of Christ, not all the gifts.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!!

Lynn

Boy, this has been one of those weeks... up and down, up and down, up and down, and then up and down another time. You get the picture! LOL! We have had a few a late nights recently discussing the adoption. As much as I'm tired of talking about it... It is all I can do. It's all WE can do. So, I go from wanting to talk about it... to it being the last thing I want to talk about... all in less than a minute. As I had mentioned in a previous post, it really is a roller coaster ride.

We have several people who have been following our blog (and thank you please post some comments so we know you are there) and I received a call from one of them on Monday. I was working so I did not take the time right away to answer it, but then I missed a very important call from the church so I stopped to listen to my voicemail. The lady on the voicemail was frantic. I needed to call her right away. She had seen Alyona's picture out on a website for her to be hosted by family in America over the winter holiday. She said they needed to talk to us right away so we could possibly get her. Well, I will just tell you... we went right to work on that; and within a very short time we had everything done. =) I will be driving to Washington, DC on Tuesday evening to pick her on Wednesday afternoon!! I sure do hope the plane is not late. I have my best friend in the whole world going with me (next to my husband, of course, who could not go as he will be out of town working). We are also bringing her son, who is from Ukraine, so he is very happy to have someone to speak Russian to. And I am as happy to have someone who speaks Russian to her for me! At least until we get used to each other, that is. So we will get to spend Christmas and New Year's Day with her. Everything is almost as perfect as it could get, other than Kristina not being here.

Then, on Tuesday, we learned grandma has started the process in Russia of attempting to get guardianship of the girls. Tim came home from work and he was so depressed it was not even funny. However, this time I had a peace about it all. I am still worried Satan may come in and try to do something, but my GOD is bigger than he is, and has already defeated him, so we just keep moving forward. We were at a Christmas party Friday night and our translator called on Tim's cell phone. It was 4:30 am in Ukraine!! He wanted to tell us some encouraging news. He said we could call the hosting agency as they have some new photos of Kristina. Also, he spoke to the orphanage director at Kiliya; and they will try to arrange for the girls to Skype with each other while Alyona is here. It has been more than two years since they have seen or talked to each other. Please pray that this will work out for them.

About two weeks ago, I was given some money from a friend to go buy a Christmas tree for the girls' room, so I got a PINK tree and ornaments that match the color of their room. I think it has grown on Tim a little... hehehe!! But it is not about him it is for the girls. I came right home and put it up. I just felt like it was something I was to do. It looks very nice in their room. A quick side note: Tim has done a great job in their room, from a new ceiling and ceiling fan, to fresh paint, and hardwood floors, and curtains. We have ordered their furniture and are waiting for it to come in. For now the mattress is on the floor, but it looks great. I will try to get some pictures posted as soon as the furniture is put in.

While at church tonight I was talking to a friend and telling her all that has happened. She was amazed. Me, too!! =0 She told me a story about a Sunday school lesson someone taught her years ago, about "expecting faith". At the time she had been very, very tight on money. She was not even sure if she would have any gifts to put under the tree that year for her children. After the class, though, she went out and spent $2 on gift wrapping paper and then told God He needed to help with the presents. Well, guess what? HE DID. She said I had put up the pink tree expecting them to be here, and, see, one of them will be. Another friend told me she was looking back at some emails her and I had exchanged; and she said about two weeks ago I went to saying "she" instead of "they". I had not even realized it. I guess it was God preparing me for the one girl for now. And that is OK. Two would have been better, but I am sure not going to tell God, "No, I want both or none."

I am asked all the time if I think about my daughters-to be-every day. HA! Do I think about them? I eat, sleep, and dream THEM! As much as I'd love to not think about another adoption thing ever again... I CAN'T and DON'T want to stop thinking about them. They are my daughters!!! Would I stop believing in God because I can't see him? NO!!!! I will not stop thinking of them... because I KNOW I will have them in my arms one day, just as I will be able to spend my days in the presence of my heavenly Father one day, too!

I have been married for twenty-six years. He is the man of my dreams. I have two of the most incredible boys, and now two girls on the other side of the world praying their “mama” won't stop fighting for them. Do I believe that God will bring our daughters home? Yes, in His timing! No, I won't stop fighting for this adoption, even when weeks like this I get really tired of it. Weeks like this I want to throw in the towel... though I never would. It's weeks like this, that I lay everything at God's feet and tell him I trust Him with each of our daughters' life and our adoption plans... because there is no one else Who is bigger, greater and more loving than He. I try to recognize Who really is in control of this adoption, but at times I want to help Him. If I would just step back, and let Him do it, it will work out for the best. I can do nothing. I KNOW without a doubt the day we meet our daughters will be a day when I will see that every day of this adoption journey will have been worth it.

It's like an eternal pregnancy that will never end. God made pregnancy nine months for a reason, but I know in my heart, that I will carry on another year of this if we have to. I just hope and pray we don't. I will keep dreaming about them. I will keep fighting for them. I will keep loving them... until they are in our arms, or God says it is time for us to move on. I can tell you that I wouldn't survive this long, mountainous, strenuous climb to our girls if it wasn't for my relationship with Jesus and my husband. I need Him to help me through. I want to smile as I go along this journey to them, but there are days that I cry a lot. I want to enjoy the amazing life God has mapped out for us. I want to love the plan God has for my life, even if it should be waiting for 1+ years for our girls. And, when things get tough, I'm thankful for a loving, caring, and sympathetic God that I know will wrap His arms around me and carry me to the end. We would never have met so many of you, if we didn't take this journey. And most importantly I have a rock solid relationship with Jesus because of this amazing journey. I would never have thought I could grow this close to God.

So, it's on these roller coaster days that I am reminded what an amazing life I have been blessed with! With so many surrounding us, supporting us, and praying us through. And, to be thankful every day for the small things. I just hope and pray that along this ride with us it will touch your heart to help the orphans of this world. Just ask God to show you what He would have you do; and He will, but please be willing to do it. My prayer for all of you is that you will be willing to be made willing to do His work, whatever that maybe.

Sorry for the long-winded post... I can hardly ever write something from the heart that only takes a few lines. :-)

Lynn

I hope this post finds you all well. And I trust you all had a great Thanksgiving. My family had the pleasure of spending the week with my sister from Illinois. I truly was blessed by our time together. I so wished she lived closer to us.

We decided not to submit our paperwork to the Ukraine government for an appointment for this year, as the girls will not be eligible for adoption until the end of January, or the first part of February. It was sad to see the holidays come and know the girls will not be here, but I am clinging to the fact that they WILL be here next year. I went yesterday, bought a pink Christmas tree, and decorated it. I have set it up in their room. It looks so cute! We have made some progress in their room, too. It is now painted, and the new ceiling is in, the hardwood floors are done. All we have left is the crown molding and baseboards. Then, it will be time to load in. Yeah!! I went on black Friday and bought a desk for them. It will be so pretty when it is finished. I cannot wait for them to come and see it.

My youngest son got up and went shopping with me on black Friday. We had a good time together. We spent about NINE hours shopping, and then his friends called and asked him to meet them at the mall. For a kid who hates shopping he had a very long day in the stores! I got the rest of my shopping done. Yeah!

When I was at the gym this morning I was watching the TV show Reba. I was listening to the theme song and it made me think about how hard it is for TWO parents to raise kids these days, and that show is about a single parent. I am not sure how they find the time to do everything and pay for everything the kids need and want. Then, to think about the girls’ grandma, at her age, trying to raise two young girls terrifies me. So many questions and so few answers. I just want what is best for them. If God says that it is for them to stay there and someday go to live with their grandma, then I will have to come to grips with that. It will not be easy, but we must move on; and God will show us who is to be "our girls".

Our oldest son is still set on moving to Minnesota in January. I have mixed emotions on the subject. I am trying to be happy for him, but it is hard to see him go so far away. I wish he were staying nearby so he could get to know the girls. I am also worried about the fact that he has no idea how to drive in the snow. In addition, I wish he was going and had a job to start as soon as he gets there. Plus, he does not even own winter clothes! But he is 26 years old; and he will make it. It is hard to be a mom. I can't even comprehend how God must feel with all of us down here not doing what He desires for each of us to do.

I got a Christmas letter from a friend today who started out talking about a Christmas remembered. How she believed in Santa, but when she went to school her friends were telling her there was no Santa. When she turned 13 she informed her parents that she no longer believed. Her mother told her that was fine, then there would no longer be presents under the tree that day; and she woke up on Christmas morning to no gifts. Her mother told her they had no money to buy anything except a blue chenille housecoat. It was not at all what the girl wanted, but her mother told her about Jesus, and that He is the greatest gift of all. He was born to be our Savior and that as long as she placed her faith in Him she would go to heaven to spend eternity with Him and her loved ones. She went on to say that was one of the best gifts she had ever received.

Well, I will close for now. Remember to share your faith everyday with someone. He is the reason for the season.

Lynn

I am feeling a little overwhelmed at this moment. I was so sure I had heard God say the girls would be here for Christmas, and I now know they will not. I am trying to praise Him in this storm, but it is not always easy to do so. We have so many uncertainties right now. The good news is Alyona is home from the hospital. We still have not been able to locate grandma. We thought Alyona knew how to contact her, but that apparently we had received incorrect information. Or maybe she could be afraid to tell, as she does not want to get into trouble with her grandma. I have to remind myself she is only nine years old. I am just so thankful the director at the orphanage had a caregiver go to stay at the hospital with her so that she was not alone. Thank you, Jesus, for letting her have that compassion on Alyona.

There is a song I love by Sarah Groves titled Generations. It says, "Lord, remind me of this, with every decision I make generations will reap what I sow. I can pass on a curse or a blessing to those I will never know." Later, it continues, "To my great, great, great grand-daughter, live in peace. To my great, great, great grand-son, live in peace." This text so needs to become my prayer, that in all of this God is using me to help with the next generation. No matter who it is He ultimately has come to live with us, we must live & act in a manner which brings glory to His name.

Tim redistributes some email devotionals to numerous people; and the following is one he recently forwarded:

Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer Lahai Roi. -- Genesis 25:8, 11

Pass It On

A man's character often lives on long after he is gone. Take Jonathan Edwards, for example. He loved the Lord and taught his children to do the same. According to one estimate, he has had 929 descendants. Of these, 430 were ministers; 86 were university professors; 13 became university presidents; 75 authored good books; and 7 were elected to the United States Congress. One was vice president of his nation. Edwards left a spiritual heritage that became a blessing not only for his descendants, but for all of society.

Abraham did the same. At the age of 175 he was "gathered to his people." But that wasn’t the end. Abraham passed on to his son a spiritual heritage that brought God's blessing upon Isaac and, down through the centuries, to all of us through Jesus Christ, a distant descendant of this godly patriarch. Abraham didn't merely "pass on"; he made it possible for God to pass on His blessings through his descendants.

We all need to live with future generations in mind. It's not enough to live a godly life to gain God's blessings for yourself; consider what influence your life will have on your grandchildren, your great-grandchildren and the rest of your family tree. The character you choose to develop will leave its mark on the lives of generations you'll never live to see.

Don't be content to leave an inheritance of material possessions. Instead, strive to be a channel for God's blessings to reach generations still unborn. The greatest inheritance your posterity can receive from you is the heritage of God's blessing.

Live so your descendants will rise up and call you blessed.

=====

Oles is traveling to Kiliya to visit Kristina this weekend. Tim spoke with him on Skype the other day. (I sometimes feel they speak more than we do now a days! LOL!) Oles is going to check on her and ask if she would like to be adopted. Both of the girls need to want that for this to work out. I just hope and pray God will be working a miracle there, but if not, then maybe this is His way of closing that door. I feel all tore up inside just waiting to hear what she has to say. I have asked God to show me a clear picture of what we are to do. If she says, no, then I guess He is closing that chapter of the book. We will then make our plans to find the girls He wants us to have. Will it be easy? NO, NO, NO. Will it hurt? YES! It will be like losing one of my own kids. Will I go on? Yes! But I know God is my comforter. He will not leave me in any of this. If for some reason, later, the girls would need us, and Tim would be willing, I would go and bring them home. I just want to seek God in all of this. I have grown so much in all of this. It amazes me.

I went the other day to the IRS and picked up the paperwork to fill out to establish a 501(c)(3) as we work to start a new ministry. It will be one to help other people who are adopting. I am not sure of all the details, but I know God has put it on my heart. I just want as many kids to have a home as possibly can. Every child needs and deserves the love of a family. One who can show God's love for them. I ran into a lady in the store the other day; and she was telling me how her and her husband did not think they could have children. I felt so bad for her. I could tell she really wanted them, but for some reason could not have any. I asked her if they had ever thought about adopting; and she said, no. She wanted her own biological children for her and her husband to love. I told her I had two wonderful boys who came into this world through me, but through this adoption process I have learned children do not need to come out of us for us to love them. My heart is overwhelmed by how much I love Kristina & Alyona and so far they have only been photos to us. At the end of our conversation, I gave her my number and told her to call me if she ever needed to talk. I hope she can find it in her heart to love one of the children who needs a home right now. We are all adopted by JESUS. I guess it was good thing He did not have to give birth to each of us for Him to love us.

Lynn

I am sorry it has taken me a while to get back to this. I set out every day to work on another post, then get sidetracked. I also have had a few weeks of not feeling well, but hopefully I am over that now!

To start out, I want to thank everyone for your prayers the last few months. I know we could not go through all of this if it were not for God, and the prayers of our friends.

After finding out about the grandmother, I walked around in total shock for probably two weeks. I was having a major pity party inside. I was a little mad at God, too. I felt like how could He give us this promise about the girls and then rip them away. But I want you to know that we serve a GREAT and MIGHTY GOD! He has taken me on such a journey over the last few weeks that if I told it all most would think I was writing a book.

One week after we learned of the grandmother, Tim met me at the top of the stairs at our church on a Thursday night and said we needed to talk before class. He said he had spoke to our friend in Ukraine earlier that day; and he had some bad news. Alyona had been admitted to the hospital with a very high fever, possibly due to some sort of bad infection. Of course my momma bear side kicked in and I intended to go home to buy an airline ticket as soon as class was over. Somehow, some way I wanted to be there with her. Then the brain kicked in and reminded me that if I went I quite probably could not be with her anyway, as I was not family. Not family?!?! She is growing inside of my heart and no matter what the grandmother wants that is not going to stop! Then, on Friday, I spoke to a friend here in the states who is from Russia; and she informed of how the hospitals over there work. WOW! It is not good. I hope we never get to that kind of health care system here in the U.S. When you are in the hospital there you almost need someone with you 24 hours a day. They supposedly do not have orderlies to bring you food or drinks. And to get your medicines your family member must leave the hospital to go get your prescriptions at an external pharmacy, then bring them back for a nurse to give to you. Well, consider that Alyona is an orphan, and the grandmother does not live near her. How is Alyona ever going to get well? But God is in control. Right? Right!!!

You see when we first found out about the girls we thought there was no family. Then, there was a grandmother and an uncle. The grandmother lived in Russia; and we believed both parents had died 4 1/2 years ago. We were thinking, why had the grandmother just left the girls in orphanages? If she really loves them she should come and get them. Well, we are now getting more of the story. It sounds like only one of the parents had passed away back then and the other parent possibly could not afford to care for the girls, so they had to go to the orphanage at that time. From what we've been told, the other parent died last winter. Now the girls have to be entered in the national orphan registration system for a full year before they are eligible or international adoption. I guess the government is hoping the parent will come back to life?!?! Who knows? Anyway, we have now found out that the grandmother has temporarily relocated to Odessa, to be closer to the girls. Well, that did make me feel a little better. I guess... but then she will be more involved with them, too. That will make this all the harder. Well, after Alyona getting sick, and me talking to my friend about the medical care over there, I prayed about what we should do. I then told Tim that I felt we needed to locate the grandmother and offer her the funds to go be with Alyona. I think our friend over there thinks we are crazy!! I just want to show the grandmother Jesus' love. When we asked him to try and find where the grandmother was living, and to go visit her, and offer her some of our money to go be with Alyona, I am sure he had to be thinking, "You Americans are nuts!!! She sends you this mean letter; and you want to help her!!" Well it was not so much to help her as much as it was about someone, anyone, being there with Alyona. I cannot imagine how afraid she must be. Well, we have not been able to find the grandmother. We have tried in Odessa, and in Russia. As of now we are not sure of how Alyona is, or if she has been taken back to the orphanage, or if she is still in the hospital; and not knowing is soooo hard! Any news would be welcome, but maybe this is God's way of making sure I am relying on Him daily.

A week ago tonight my oldest son gave me some heartbreaking news. He informed Tim & I that he is planning on moving to Minnesota after Christmas, as he wants to be by family. Well, I will just tell you, at that moment I could have ripped his head off! I tried not to "let him have it", though, instead recounting my litany of arguments & complaints inside my head: I carried you for nine months inside of me and let you beat me up until I literally had bruises... I changed all of your diapers and fed you in the middle of the night... Then, I watched you go off to your first day of school... I watched you head out on your first date... To graduation... And so many other things that have occurred over the years... But you want to go live by family?!?!? To say the least, I was absolutely crushed. Through all of this, though, God has showed me so much. You see, I have always been afraid of the day something would happen to my parents, or Tim, and I would be alone. I am just starting to establish a relationship with a stepsister, and that is so neat, but I have five half-brothers and sisters somewhere in the world; and I have no idea of anything about them. My real father wants nothing to do with me. I thank God everyday for a "daddy" who loves me, my stepfather. However, what God has showed me is that everything will be OK, not easy, but OK. I always thought of my grandchildren growing up within a few miles from me, so I could babysit whenever my kids needed. Or have them all over to swim and enjoy lunch together after church. Every decision we have made regarding our backyard was in preparation for the day we would have grandchildren. It maybe they only come for a week or two in the summer, or we go there, I have no idea, but in all of this God stopped me last Friday and asked why I was mad at Justin for wanting to move, as an adult, when he would only be 1000 miles away. I would have the opportunity to relatively easily drive or fly to visit him. But what about the girls' grandmother? He suggested that I should think about the fact that she would not have the same freedom & opportunity to visit the girls if she allowed them move 6000+ miles away. Getting in a car to drive here would not be an option; and she would have to make a very long plane trip in order to see them. Or we would have to go there, which we would be willing to do, if that is what it will take for her approval, but realistically how often can we do so? And at her age, she possibly may never see them again. The girls are her family. I can honestly say I would not like to be in her situation. I so hope and pray that God is molding her heart so she can see the increased opportunities the girls will have here versus in rural Russia. I don't want to be selfish in this in any way. My love has grown so much for them. I have come to not call the "grandmother" any longer. Instead, I am now calling her "grandma". As she will always be part of us now. In the mean time, as we have so far been unsuccessful locating her, my heart breaks for her. I truly hope she is OK. They have had so much illness over in Ukraine. It is so sad.

Will I ever be happy about my son moving so far away? NO, NO, NO, but I do understand. He is an adult; and he has to do what is best for himself. And maybe a fresh start will actually be good for him. So, I hope and pray he will have a blessed life. (And it would be really nice if he meets a girl from Mississippi up there in Minnesota. At least then we know they would come home for the holidays!!!!)

We are still waiting for our I-711H to come in, then we will be ready to send everything off for our SDA appointment. YEAH!!!

We did get an email last week that said the SDA is still keeping all appointments, but that due to all of the illness going around all orphanages, schools and universities will be closed for two to six weeks. They are hoping this will help stop some of the spread of the illness. The are having a real problem with the Swine Flu, so I suppose that may be what Alyona had. We are not sure if she is out of the hospital, or not, but I sure wish we knew. I also wish we would hear anything about Kristina. From the descriptions we've heard, the director at Kiliya is not very friendly. He supposedly does not like to have "his" kids adopted out. He wants to keep them there for himself. What kind of life is that for the kids?!?!

I want to leave you with something I found on another blog. It brought tears to my eyes. When God calls a women to be an adoptive parent... He places in her heart something special...

Being an adoptive mother is not for every woman. She must possess not only the natural mother instinct but an understanding and appreciation of the situation that brought a child into her arms making her a mother. The adoptive family came to be by choices made, choices made by the first parents and by the adoptive parents. This bond the adoptive mother has with her child grows over time, like the child did within his first mother’s womb. Day by day, touch by touch, with each tear, kiss, and memory made they became a family. Adoptive mothers have that special knack to let love grow.

Adoptive mothers know that she’s a mender of wounds, not just of the physical skinned knees with a band-aid and a kiss, but of the heart. She gives love, acceptance, and permission to ask and talk about the day he was born and of his first parents. Adoptive mothers are embracers, not only of the child with many hugs and kisses, but of the child’s heritage and history. She embraces the facts of her child’s past with strength for herself and the child.

She’s not only a memory maker planning family vacations, activities, and birthday parties, but also a memory keeper. Details of a birth, photos of the hospital, and of the parents who brought her into the world are kept along side the newspaper clipping that announced it all. All these things are kept in a special book that tells the whole story.

She’s a tier of shoelaces and of hearts. She weaves lives together into a tapestry of a new family, with many different brightly, colored threads showcasing their individualities and family origins. Together they create one unit attached to each other.

Adoptive mothers are experts at finding lost objects, but understand and validate the profound, deep loss left by adoption. She allows the tears to fall and grief to be felt, allowing the mourning of the mom not there. She is secure in knowing that she’s not a replacement, but a finisher of a race for someone who, for whatever reason, could not run any longer.

This role is not for the weak of spirit, or the easily wounded. Loving a child not born to her but calling her own, but this is what she does, it is her calling. She is a mother.

I know I can never replace the girls' mom, nor would I want to. I just want them to have a better life, but I need to know it is a better life they want also.

Lynn