Sunday, December 14, 2008

Why We're Doing This #2  

We travelled back to Kiev wondering what God was up to.  Why did we feel that He had called us to adopt and have a feeling that there was no way we could ever really accomplish it?  Not being able to visit the baby home and the hopeless feeling because of the financial mountain that we would be facing, made us wonder if we even knew what God's voice sounds like.  Could we have missed Him or misunderstood Him? 


We were staying at a man's property in Kiev.  His name is Yuri and he has driven us all around Ukraine over the years.  He has begun construction of a "Guest House" and conference center on his land in Brovary (on the outskirts of Kiev).  We were staying there for the first time.  Later that night, we were all sitting around chatting and just relaxing after our hard day of travel.  Yuri told us (through interpreter) that he understood that we were thinking about adopting a child from Ukraine.  At that point doubts had crept in and we wondered "Would/could God really do this?"  He said, when we come to adopt, he wanted us to come and stay at his guest house and that our money wou
ld be no good (in other words for free).  At that moment, we realized that God had just handed us about $2,500-3,000 toward the adoption.  I was speechless.  He then said many encouraging and uplifting things and said that he had a friend who lived near him that was a lawyer who does international adoptions.  I thought, "Wow!  What a coincidence!" Ha!  It was God bringing confirmation, of course.  I told him that I'd like to communicate with him sometime, maybe get his email address...lo and behold he picked up his cell phone, dialed and handed me the phone.  A couple of seconds later I was talking to this guy (who spoke English).  He shared that we'd probably be able to have a child adopted around the first of the year (I thought, "Right!  You don't know what you're saying...we have tons of money to come up with!")   Later that night, a friend of ours from Ukraine (who was the project leader for "Gift of Adoption" in Ukraine (she worked for CBN)) said that she'd be glad to help with anything she could.  She had handled several international adoptions. 

Suddenly, what only a few hours ago seemed nearly impossible, seemed completely possible through the power of God.  Of course we believe and have faith, but there are times when doubts begin to overshadow what we know to be true.  We knew that God would be the one who would do it, but when we began to take ownership, we began to think it was imp
ossible.

As it turns out, because of where we are adopting from, we won't be able to stay with Yuri very much of the time.  Our friend wasn't able to help us with any of the paperwork because our facilitator does all that as part of the fee paid to them.  And we aren't using the services of the attorney that we spoke with on the phone.  The point is...God proved to us in a matter of minutes that what He sets out to do, HE CAN and WILL do.  Without my knowledge, expertise or even help!!  (Don't get me wrong, we've worked hard...but it's been through God that all this has transpired!!!)

We were E-X-C-T-I-T-E-D when we got home.  We knew we had not only heard from the Lord, but also heard Him tell us that HE WOULD DO IT...NOT US!

The week we got home, we told a dear couple in our church about what God was doing and they gave us $2,500 toward the costs!  That week was also my 15 year anniversary at the church I serve as Minister of Music & Worship and there was a surprise reception party for our family.  The church didn't know about what God was doing yet, but they gave u
s over $2,000 in cash!  In the first week, God had supplied nearly $5,000!  Once the church found out what was going on in our lives, money began appearing on my desk in unmarked envelopes.  It was overwhelming what God was going.

In the mean time, the missionary who lives at the Yuri's guest house emailed me to tell me that she knew a missionary couple who had adopted and that they might know who could help us.  We emailed them and in just a matter of minutes, replied with the web address for Reeces Rainbow.  Mary and I began to look at the website immediately and were overwhelmed to find out that there was ministry that assisted with the adoption of children with Down syndrome from Ukraine.  Could God make His hand any clearer???  We emailed Andrea and almost immediately got a response from her.  She made us a page of kids that were adoptable and available.  We were overwhelmed with the decision.  Instead of struggling which child we would rescue, we felt like we were deciding with kids we were leaving behind.

Out of all the kids, there was a couple that we had zeroed in on.  One was a little guy named Dante.  He was tiny for his age (5 years old).  He reminded us of our own little Eli.  But we couldn't decide.  We emailed Andrea and in Andrea fashion, she replied immediately and asked us to consider two boys, Oleg and Dante.  Wait a minute!!!  We were ad
opting ONE child!!!  Mary and I were in bed (I had the laptop) and we were looking at the pictures and reading the descriptions again when Andrea emailed us and right then, we decided that indeed we would adopt two.  In that moment God opened our hearts to those two boys (one of which we already had our eye on and Oleg).  

So here we are...papers approved, expecting our exact travel date at any time (we'll be traveling in February 2009).  Even though God intervened and Dante has been adopted by another family, we are SO EXCITED to go get Oleg and another child of God's choosing!!!

It is amazing that God is allowing us to be part of His plan and that He is MAKING IT HAPPEN!!!  Four months ago, we never would have dreamed that He would have provided the money He has provided through grants and donations, never dreamed that our paper work would come together so quickly and that we'd be invited to travel so quickly.  He has done GREAT things...of course, God is capable of 
nothing less!!!

Thank you God for all You've done and all You will do!!!
Also...a great big THANK YOU to Andrea for answering all our stupid questions and helping us
 get things figured out and completed.  And a great big THANK YOU to Meredith for answering even more questions and helping us make sure our paperwork was perfect and for helping us through losing Dante.  And another big THANK YOU to Derek, Renee, John and Tracie Loux who are adopting from the same orphanage we are going to...having others on the journey with us makes it easier and even a bigger blessing!

To Matthew (Oleg) and our other child...  Daddy
 and Mommy LOVE you and we are coming to get you just as soon as we can!!!

Peace and Grace

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