Saturday, December 27, 2008

A beautiful Christmas and the countdown...  

This Christmas was an amazing time of celebration of everything my Abba Father has done for me and for all His children. The realization of the precious gift that His son is is even more real to us this year. When this world was in darkness and didn't even know it. When we were fatherless and didn't know what a father was, He worked to claim me as His. What an amazing Father...and amazing Daddy.

We are so blessed to be adopted by our Heavenly Daddy and are blessed to be able to adopt two new sons from Ukraine.

Early in the process, I asked Mary how long she thought it would take for us to feel like the boys were really our and how long it might take us to love them as our flesh and blood. Little did we realize that that would happen before we even met them or laid eyes on them (physically). God has opened our hearts and lives and has melded them to us. Little Matthew is already part of us as though we had conceived and given birth to him. That's incredible and unbelievable to someone who has not experienced it, but it's absolutely true.

When Jonathan was adopted by another family, as painful as that was, we knew God was doing something special. We are now trying to adopt a little boy named Misha. He was transferred from the orphanage where Matthew lives several months ago and is now living in a mental institution for the mentally handicapped. Once again, God has melded this little heart to ours. When we found out we wouldn't be adopting Jonathan, we began praying that God would give us another son or daughter and He immediately placed Misha on our hearts. We decided then and there that we wouldn't not grow so attached to Misha in the even that we would be unable to adopt him. Yeah...right. God has once again opened our hearts to love him. We are going to do everything possible to give him a new name and a new home and a new life.

God has done miraculous things so far and we expect even more amazing things from Him that we cannot at this point imagine.

The countdown is on for our February 16 date with the SDA in Ukraine. We are more than excited and hope the 7 weeks will FLY by as we know they will. We seem to have everything that we know that we need to do done and our bases covered as best we know how. My mom is coming here to stay with the kids for the entire time we're gone (we're staying until we bring the boys home). I've got people to fill in for me at church (I'm a worship pastor). God has provided money for our expenses. Most importantly...God has an amazing plan that He will carry out. We will wait and watch His Mighty Hand!

How can you pray for us now?
1. For God's continued grace in our lives and the lives of our new children as His hand continues to carry out His work.
2. That if we need more money, that He will provide it through whatever means He sees fit.
3. For our preparations to be complete and comprehensive before we leave.
4. That Matthew will be in the orphanage when we get there and that Misha will be available and the director of the institution where he is will show us favor and make it easy to adopt him.
5. That God would miraculously provided a large van for us. "You have not because you ask not."
6. Most of all, that throughout everything that has happened and will happen in this process, that God would GLORIFY HIMSELF and that His name would become even more well known because of what He will do!

Thank you for praying.


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1 comments: to “ A beautiful Christmas and the countdown...

  • Lou
    December 31, 2008 at 9:24 AM  

    Congratulations on your travel date! The time really does pass and usually before you are totally done packing :o)
    Your boys sound wonderful and I hope the path stays clear and easy to bring BOTH of them home quickly. Lucky boys, lucky you! Prayers!