The process for the adoption seems intermitable, even though we have only been at it for about a month and a half. We've filled out the paperwork for the homestudy (the U.S. part of the adoption process). We are now just waiting for the social worker to get all our letters of reference and background check information back before she can schedule a meeting with us. Once the homestudy appointment is made then we can contact the adoption agency in Florida to begin sending us the paperwork we need to complete for the International part of it. Please pray that all this will move along expediently. We're patiently anxious!
We have heard from the girls! One of the translators who worked with us last summer went to visit the orphanage where the girls are. Valya is a teacher in Ukraine, and is a Christian. We are so appreciative that she was willing to do this for us. She blessed us by taking the time to travel and to serve as a bridge between us and the girls. She sent us an email as soon as she returned to her home. I will just let her words speak because they tell the story more powerfully than I can.
Dear Dawn and Mark,
It was a nice trip to Mariupol. I came on Saturday at 1p.m. It took about six hours to get to this town. Vova, Zhenya, and Vova's father were waiting for me at the bus station. We had a lunch and at once came to the orphanage. Before going to girls I wrote a letter to them that I was going to visit them on the 20th of September. They were waiting for me and I had a conversation with them, gave them many hugs. I tried to be calm, but in side I was almost crying. I read a translation of your letter, asked girls to write the answer. They miss you very much and love you very much. They want to go to America and be your daughters. Zanna and Ella showed me their day-books and copy-books. They are studying well. A teacher, who looks after all girls, allowed me to come inside the building and girls showed me their rooms. Zanna lives in a separate room from Ella, next to Ella's. The rooms are clean, there are four beds, a wardrobe and bed-side tables with shelves. Ella lives with another girl.
All kids live and study at the same building in different wings. This is a three-storyed building. The canteen is on the ground floor. There is a TV set in the big room.
Dawn, I will send and translate the leters from girls, they also drew many pictures for both of you. In their drawings they call you mama and daddy.
This is Zanna's letter
Dear Mark and Dawn,
We were very happy and glad to get your letter from Valya. We miss you very much. We will be waiting only for you. Everything is OK with us. We also want to see you, always remember our time spent at the camp "Little Hawk". We told everyone about our classes and what you told us about God. We want to be your daughters. We study English at the orphanage. We want to see you as soon as possible.
When Ella and I think about you we are always crying and wait when you take us. We still have Bibles and read them. At first we thought that you had forgotten us, but when Valya brought a letter from you, we thought that you would never forget us. We are waiting for you and love you.
This is Ella's letter
Dear Mark and Dawn,
I am very glad that you have decided to take us in your family. We want you to become our parents. We miss you so much. And if you have a chance, take us to America for summer hoidays. We pray every day. I kiss you.
Dawn, girls answered your questions
Ella's favourite color is yellow; Zanna's favourite color is pink. Their favourite subjects are History and English. They do not like Maths. Zanna likes reading encyclopedia and Ella - fairy-tales. Zanna and Ella likes singing and knitting. Zanna is going to perform in the concert soon. They both like sports.
I think that in November the 8th I will visit girls again and for sure before the Christmas time it is necessary to bring some candies and little presents. My students will help with shampoo and soap and other things.
Today in the morning I visited girls again, they gave me your letters and drawings. We again talked and at 11.30 I went to the bus station. I came home at 7 p.m.
I took pictures of girls and I am going to send them to you.
I love you,
Valya
Needless to say, Mark and I were in tears as we read this. God is graciously opening up their hearts and ours to form a family. We have a better understanding now of God's feelings about us as He adopts us as His sons and daughters. He longs for us to come to know Him so that we can one day live with Him forever. We are longing for the time we can be with the girls as God longs for the time He can be with us.
Blessings to all,
Dawn
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Abraham and Sarah
Okay, Okay. So we're a little older than most new parents. But 50 is not so old by Biblical standards! Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 (and still attractive from what I read) when Isaac was born.
However, this past week Mark and I were in our office at home, both busily working on paperwork for the adoption. We were complaining because the print was small and there were so many questions to be answered. Suddenly we both looked at each other (over our reading glasses) and began to laugh like Sarah! The thought of this entire endeavor is hilarious when you take a step back and look at it.
God took a couple of very settled people who had lived in the same place for over 20 years, who had raised their children well, and who should now be looking forward to the peace and quiet of their "dotage" years. God sent these people around the world to a completely foreign country where they were uncomfortable and feeling ill-equipped to do what He had called them to do. Then He said, "Okay, now you are where I want you. You see I have something for you to do, but you have to understand that it is not your idea. You have to know that it comes completely from Me, otherwise there's no good in it." Then God brought in two young girls who could not be shaken from this couple's mind. There was some disbelief and bargaining that took place within hearts and heads, but in the end God won out. It seems that God works best in these kinds of circumstances. He loves to have the last laugh!
We've been learning so much from God these days. The first lesson is patience. This adoption paperwork process is intense and time consuming. Mark's brother Joel recently emailed. Joel and his wife, Jo, have adopted five children, so they understand completely what this is all about. Joel's words were these, "One thought that struck me when reading your blog is that the process of adoption is long and drawn out and seems very unreasonable. Anybody can have a child without any questions asked. But to adopt and provide a better future you have to go under the microscope. More info is required to adopt than to get a mortgage or go to work for the FBI. All in all, though, it isn't a bad deal because if the kids were easy to get then there would be no telling where they might end up. At least if someone is willing to put the time and effort into getting them they are more likely to really want them." Wise counsel!
It seems to us like a very long tunnel before the girls can be ours. But a friend of ours recently emailed and encouraged us to remember that this time of stress and pressure will only be for a short time. Then it will be over and the girls will be with us. That seems very Biblical to me, as well. II Corinthians 4:16-18 says, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temprary, but what is unseen is eternal."
That's another lesson. God is the author of this story. He is the One in charge here. We are merely the instruments of His great love for all His children. We're so grateful to be playing a part in this. It is humbling and gratifying. We have to believe that God was planning this several years ago. Jana and Ella told us that they were left at the orphanage by their parents three years ago. Two years ago Mark and I began to think about what our family might want to do to celebrate this very special year in which we commemorate our 30th wedding anniversary and Annie and Nathan graduate from high school and college, respectively. We originally thought about a cruise. But God kept knocking that idea down. His voice kept returning saying, "Do something for me. Do something to help others." We began to pray about a mission trip. We had no idea where to go or what to do. The team from EEM literally showed up on our doorstep one night in the form of college students from Lubbock Christian University who stayed in our home and excitedly told us about their plans for the trip. They encouraged us to come along. God planned that, too. So, there we were in Ukraine, in God's right place, at God's right time to meet the girls. Isn't He good?
Our third lesson is about opening our fists to receive His blessing. Most of us are not very good at that. We keep our fists pretty tightly closed, thinking that we will have more control that way. It's not true. Yes, it's risky to open up and go places and do things we've never done before. It's not comfortable. We may come home compelled to change our lives, for Heaven's sake! (Pun intended!) But God, the great author and perfector of our lives just waits for us to open our fists so that He can take our hands and guide us down a path that leads to new and amazing experiences and blessings we've never enjoyed before. He is our loving Father, ever ready to help us grow. All it takes is a bit of faith to let go and let Him lead. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. . . By faith Abraham, even though he was past age - and Sarah herself was barren - was enabled to become a father because he considered Him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore." Hebrews 11:1,11-12.
Abraham and Sarah had faith. Our faith is growing. God is good. He is ever present and He will hold our hands all the way. After all, this is completely His idea. Yes, Jana and Ella will be our daughters. He'll see to that!
Blessings to all,
Dawn
However, this past week Mark and I were in our office at home, both busily working on paperwork for the adoption. We were complaining because the print was small and there were so many questions to be answered. Suddenly we both looked at each other (over our reading glasses) and began to laugh like Sarah! The thought of this entire endeavor is hilarious when you take a step back and look at it.
God took a couple of very settled people who had lived in the same place for over 20 years, who had raised their children well, and who should now be looking forward to the peace and quiet of their "dotage" years. God sent these people around the world to a completely foreign country where they were uncomfortable and feeling ill-equipped to do what He had called them to do. Then He said, "Okay, now you are where I want you. You see I have something for you to do, but you have to understand that it is not your idea. You have to know that it comes completely from Me, otherwise there's no good in it." Then God brought in two young girls who could not be shaken from this couple's mind. There was some disbelief and bargaining that took place within hearts and heads, but in the end God won out. It seems that God works best in these kinds of circumstances. He loves to have the last laugh!
We've been learning so much from God these days. The first lesson is patience. This adoption paperwork process is intense and time consuming. Mark's brother Joel recently emailed. Joel and his wife, Jo, have adopted five children, so they understand completely what this is all about. Joel's words were these, "One thought that struck me when reading your blog is that the process of adoption is long and drawn out and seems very unreasonable. Anybody can have a child without any questions asked. But to adopt and provide a better future you have to go under the microscope. More info is required to adopt than to get a mortgage or go to work for the FBI. All in all, though, it isn't a bad deal because if the kids were easy to get then there would be no telling where they might end up. At least if someone is willing to put the time and effort into getting them they are more likely to really want them." Wise counsel!
It seems to us like a very long tunnel before the girls can be ours. But a friend of ours recently emailed and encouraged us to remember that this time of stress and pressure will only be for a short time. Then it will be over and the girls will be with us. That seems very Biblical to me, as well. II Corinthians 4:16-18 says, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temprary, but what is unseen is eternal."
That's another lesson. God is the author of this story. He is the One in charge here. We are merely the instruments of His great love for all His children. We're so grateful to be playing a part in this. It is humbling and gratifying. We have to believe that God was planning this several years ago. Jana and Ella told us that they were left at the orphanage by their parents three years ago. Two years ago Mark and I began to think about what our family might want to do to celebrate this very special year in which we commemorate our 30th wedding anniversary and Annie and Nathan graduate from high school and college, respectively. We originally thought about a cruise. But God kept knocking that idea down. His voice kept returning saying, "Do something for me. Do something to help others." We began to pray about a mission trip. We had no idea where to go or what to do. The team from EEM literally showed up on our doorstep one night in the form of college students from Lubbock Christian University who stayed in our home and excitedly told us about their plans for the trip. They encouraged us to come along. God planned that, too. So, there we were in Ukraine, in God's right place, at God's right time to meet the girls. Isn't He good?
Our third lesson is about opening our fists to receive His blessing. Most of us are not very good at that. We keep our fists pretty tightly closed, thinking that we will have more control that way. It's not true. Yes, it's risky to open up and go places and do things we've never done before. It's not comfortable. We may come home compelled to change our lives, for Heaven's sake! (Pun intended!) But God, the great author and perfector of our lives just waits for us to open our fists so that He can take our hands and guide us down a path that leads to new and amazing experiences and blessings we've never enjoyed before. He is our loving Father, ever ready to help us grow. All it takes is a bit of faith to let go and let Him lead. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. . . By faith Abraham, even though he was past age - and Sarah herself was barren - was enabled to become a father because he considered Him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore." Hebrews 11:1,11-12.
Abraham and Sarah had faith. Our faith is growing. God is good. He is ever present and He will hold our hands all the way. After all, this is completely His idea. Yes, Jana and Ella will be our daughters. He'll see to that!
Blessings to all,
Dawn
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