Keira's 1st birthday present!

This little lady just turned 1!

 

 

She is pretty darn cute.

And seriously, we are all obsessed with her.

She is absolutely so much fun!  Even when she is naughty we kinda can't get over that little sneaky bugger always trying to climb the stairs, throwing her sippy cup, or drooling up some of her bros legos. 

<3

She got a pretty cool birthday present this year.

When we were convinced that we were meant to *try* to bring Max and Denys back for Christmas, God spoke something to my heart.  He said "It will be a birthday present."  I don't know if you have ever put yourself completely out there, well KNOWING that you had no capability to do something, but *trying* anyway. 

(I say *trying* because I knew that *we* were not the ones who were able.  We didn't need to *try* we just needed to obey

.    And let He who is *able* do whatever it is that He has planned.)

But, even knowing this... still...

yikes

3 weeks passed, and we were blown away with how God moved on peoples hearts to donate, and how awesomely generous people were and the gap was shrinking!  But, we were still a little less than $2,000 from bringing the boys back for Christmas with 4 days left.

Ok, I know you all will think I am a bit thick... but I honestly thought the birthday He was talking about was mine!  I thought it had to do with something else I've been talking about with Him.

(stop thinking I'm thick!  not nice!)

Anyway, on Keira's big day, in perfect timing, within a half hour, I kept getting notifications that donations were being made on our youcaring, we had a few donations come in the mail that day, and BAM,
we didn't have to *try*, we just needed to obey, and wait!

It was awesome.
because He is awesome.  And I am becoming more and more convinced that He does things in such a way as to show his awesomeness, and to leave us in absolute awe.

I shared the news with Ellia and she couldn't stop "Woot-Woot" ing! ha!  She raced to the bus stop and told the bus stop moms that "Max and Denys are coming for Christmas!" 

We told Jake when he got off the bus. And Sean when he came home.  Such a happy happy day!

Later that night, as I was walking down the stairs it hit me, I remembered his words I had tucked away from a few weeks earlier.  "It will be a birthday present."

I literally stopped halfway down the steps, as the realization hit me.  "Oh! wow!"

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEIRA!

It was a really happy day for all of us!

Depraved Indifference

I am determined to stop suffering from depraved indifference.

Powerful reminder for me.  The words God spoke to this man, are part of what he spoke to me.  (well, go figure - guess we do have the same God!) 

Some people will look at my circumstances and say, "you all don't have it together enough yet."  I am glad I am going on God's spoken words to me, and not on advice of family members, or friends.  Your points may be valid- we are not perfect, we are not wealthy, we have not arrived at some (unreal) false Christian idea of perfect pretty people.  We simply want to follow Christ and are struggling through it daily.  So, when God says go - we. will. go. 

When you tell me to get perfect and then go.  All I want to know is WHERE that is written in the bible?  I want to know what kid would rather have nothing because he is waiting on perfect? 

I am frustrated, friends.  & I have to stop and remember what The Truth has said.  And let everything else fall.  Honestly, Depraved Indifference is being obliterated in my life, the more I have come to understand my relationship to the person of the Holy Spirit.  The more He confides in me, the less I can get away with ignoring the father's heart and where he is leading us.

 

Intertwined

It has been a while since I have had the courage to blog about the boys!

It took a lot to say good bye to them.

And can you believe that they have nearly been gone for 2 months?

Sigh

Missing those little guys.

Tonight I was going through the junk drawer and I pulled a little brown notepad out to jot something down real quick.  I flipped it open, almost missing what was on the first page... Ukrainian writing. 

sigh
It was a list of names. 

It was precious.  & my heart was hurting.   Denys, Mama, Kira, Makc, Ela, Jakab, Papa, Babushka, Dedushka, (and 2 more I can't share).  My heart was pretty much bleeding....all over my freshly scrubbed kitchen counter... I wanted to give that boy a squeeze...  And he is just too far away. 

I loved how he intertwined our families names, It wasn't us & them, it was all mixed up together! 

Like a family. 

sigh.

He has a father

His name is the Lord -- rejoice before him.
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing.
Ps. 68:4
Throughout this whole process it has been so amazing to see how much God clearly loves these boys.  From the beginning when he put the desire in my heart to host them he let me know how much he loves them.  Every time God provided a need, I was reminded wow- God loves these boys.  He is seeking them out. 

About half way through their time with us it hit me.  I am loving them and trying to make a difference in their lives.  I am playing with them and enjoying their company.  I am feeding them heaps and heaps of food 5 times a day and watching them grow physically... but their biggest need I am incapable of meeting.  They need the Lord!  I got to praying that day for a way to teach them about God.  The language barrier would make communicating the good news very confusing!  I wanted to be able to tell them that they were loved by God, they were wanted.  That God loved them so much and that he made a way for them to have a relationship with him- through belief in his son Jesus.  I wanted to tell them that Jesus loved them so much that he gave his whole life so that they could live.  (Can you imagine the charades I would have to perform to communicate all of this? haha I am pretty sure it wouldn't work out.)  So anyway I got online and started searching for Ukrainian churches in the area.  I thought man, a Ukrainian speaking VBS would be perfect!  I wish I could find one.  But, I couldn't.  All  I could find was a local Ukrainian catholic church.  I prayed about it, and left it at that.

The next morning, a friend of a friend who I really barely knew (though now we have become good friends), texted me.  I was blown away when I read her text.  She said, I don't know if you would be interested but my parents go to a Ukranian speaking church and they have a VBS next week!  umm, ok God, thank you for showing up!   The VBS was a 45 minute drive, but well worth it!

I am soo excited to share, that one night, after hearing the truth of God's love, Max trusted in Jesus!  Our charades conversation that night after VBS was so awesome.  He was soo happy.  And he told me "Max,.. Pray, ..God."  Beaming from ear to ear.  "Max, Pray, God -(points up).  God...(then swoops his hand down to his heart)  shooooom Max"   He was trying to show God is in his heart.  It was so cool.  That night he prayed before bed in Ukranian.  Really wish I knew what he was saying.  He was very proud of himself and happy.  I was able to explain to him that I also believed in God.  And he was like "Mama??!!"......"oooooh!"  hahaha

Good things. :) 

He once was fatherless. 

"Just like a drum, I can feel their hearts beating,
I know my God, won't let them be defeated,
Every child has a dream to belong and be loved."



My prayer for our boys is that God would not let them be defeated.

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.

With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.
I am loving my husband extra lately.  He has been such an encouragement to me when I get overwhelmed.  Because, no, it is not always easy loving kids who come from such hard places.  Sean reminded me a few days ago that this is not meant to be fun but it is meant to be purposeful.  We are purposefully loving these boys.  No, loving them is not always fun.  There have been tears, tempers, & tantrums. (um, not just from them..) But yes, there is power from God to sustain us in our choice to walk with God, and love these boys.  There have been victories, hugs, cooking lessons, lots of laughter, forts made of sheets, connect 4 tournaments, storytimes before bed, & one little boy told this mama "I love you" tonight. 

Jeremiah 22:16
"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well.  Is that not what it means to know me?" declares the Lord



 

The halfway mark

3 weeks ago

two brave little guys boarded a plane.  They were at least a little nervous, I am sure-  but I doubt they showed it.  3 weeks ago, they spent over 16 hours travelling to get to America so they could experience 2 things.  Family, and fun.

3 weeks ago

as we drove these little guys home from the airport they fell asleep- hard.  They slept like babies for the second half of the ride home.  And you know how it is when you sneak into your kids room at night to look at how precious they are sleeping... it was that moment of "aww look at them sleeping" that I could. not. help. but cry.

3 weeks ago, I was overwhelmed with the fact that these little guys had no one.  No mommy or daddy was missing them, or worrying over the fact that they were half way across the world.  No one was calling and seeing if they had made it safely, no one was wondering if they were scared, or had eaten a healthy meal in the last 24 hours.  No mommy, no daddy, no person, was worried about them.  No one.  They were alone.  It just felt so weird and unjust to look at these little babies sleeping in the back seat of my van, and realize these things.

3 weeks from now

Max and Denys will be driven back to that airport.  (Yes, I will probably have to be silent the whole time to keep from sobbing and making things that much harder.)  But, there is a good that has come of Max and Denys travelling over 16 hours, just to come to America and be a part of our family.

3 weeks from now

when they are being picked up by bus, or van, or the orphanage director, and shuffled back into their daily life as part of the crowd-  On that ride home - that day when no one is looking at their precious faces asleep in the back of the van-  On that day there is a mom who is loving them, worrying to death about them, praying for them, hoping they are not scared or sad, and missing them oh so deeply. 

3 weeks from now, Max and Denys will not be alone in this world-  They will never be alone in this world again.