Halted

For the sake of preserving what's happening on this journey of adoption, we would be remiss not to
mention that a global pandemic has halted the adoption. We haven't stopped. The process is just stalled.

Early last week we excitedly mailed all our dossier forms to our agency in the state of New York. But like so many people everywhere they can't "gather" - work is slowed or totally at a stand still. So our documents sit. Waiting. 

Ukraine has been dealing with this slightly longer. They hope to begin accepting dossiers again on April 2nd. Will they reconsider? Probably. Would our documents even be there by then? 
(Update: Ukraine has pushed the end of their quarantine to April 24th)

Like so much of this process, so much of the last year, we wait. 
It's out of our hands. 
We wait. We trust. We hurry. We get excited. We get stand still. 
We are reminded yet again Who is in control. 
That none of this is based on our desire or feelings or effort... but some grander, perfect, good plan that will glorify Him. 

On the flip side, life here is pretty much the same. The daddy and big kids (thankfully) still keep working. Gene as a truck driver, the boys as support for truck drivers (they wash big trucks, which keeps our food trucks rolling), and the older girls in food service (for now). But because of their exposure to folks from all over, we are just assuming we could have been all been exposed. We had already decided to stay away from others as much has possible. 

Life at home is pretty much the same. We continue homeschooling, minus our few regular classes and gatherings. We're finding lots of new things to learn on YouTube. We've indefinitely postponed Josiah's big 10th birthday party. We're just staying home. 

Thankfully, for the most part, we are really good at just being home. We are thankful for good health, for supplements to help boost our immunity, a good size house and a big yard, sunny days, and that we are all pretty easily entertained. 

In other news, I was put in contact with a mom in Minnesota who is trying to adopt the best friend of the kids we are trying to adopt. This young person "calls" then nearly daily. So the mom has gotten to know our hoped for kids a little. What I learned was that 1) eventually, we'll be visited by Minnesotans, and they'll be visited by Georgians, and 2) all three kids have hopes of being home in the USA by summer time. Oh wouldn't that be wonderful!!! 

So we continue to pray. We've just added to our prayers that this virus will pass quickly. That all 13 of us (and all the grand folks) stay really healthy. That this adoption process picks back up. That grants and donations will come in while we wait. That we can be with them soon. 
And we trust He who is sovereign. 
And we wait.  

“Be still, and know that I am God.

    I will be exalted among the nations,

    I will be exalted in the earth!”

Psalm 46:10

Update from Ukraine

Our friend far away visited with the children today and sent the following message and pictures - the sign thanks World Children’s Hosting for raising the funds for important parts of Andrii’s medical care and testing.

Hello everyone, how are you?  I hope you and your families are in order?  I inform you that today I managed to visit Andrei, the other day he completed the fourth course of chemotherapy, he was very weak lately and felt weak, a few days ago Andrei began to eat a little better and go out for a walk, since now  Ukraine was quarantined to visit medical, child care facilities and nursing homes, I was forced to buy a protective suit from biochemical protection and only in a suit I was allowed to visit Andrey, for about one hour we walked slowly around the territory  Denia with Andrei and his sister Anastasia, we talked a lot about life, talked a lot about the future adoption process, I answered them all the questions, we also discussed the school, their grandmother, friends, they also remembered the Browns family and the USA, we also talked about  politics, about coronavirus, in a word Andrei talked a lot and Anastasia also got a little involved in our conversation!  We had a wonderful time together, they miss you very much, and they are waiting for you to come to adopt them, they just were very shy and it was not easy to talk to them.  I brought them presents - a lot of various healthy fruits, as well as some delicious sweets.  Now the main task for Andrey is to eat well and gain some weight, and it is also important that his blood tests improve, since from March 25 his attending oncologist plans to start radiation therapy, which is designed for 50 days.  Therefore, I ask you to continue to pray for Andrew!  Andrei and Anastasia really hope that this nightmare with coronavirus will end soon and you will be able to come to them as soon as possible.

Great generosity has covered the expenses of MRI's, nursing care, daily markers (testing), which are not covered by the state medical funds. There will probably be another fundraiser to cover Andrii’s care and tests for his upcoming radiation treatment. I'll update and share on Facebook when it's set up.

EDIT: Here's the fundraising set up by Sabrina of WCH on Facebook for his medical care

Click Here to go to the Fundraiser

Praying we can get there soon! 

Love ya! 

The Last Shall Be First

We are sticklers for context so I've giggled as verses have come to mind about what has taken place in the last 24 hours. They are NOT about adoption or grants or anything concerning money but...

"The last shall be first..." (Matthew 20:16), or "A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand..." (Psalm 91:7)

We got word yesterday that the last grant we filled out, Open Hearts for Orphans, was approved!!! So we've got our first grant approval. ($2000) Woohoo! 

I also deposited a healthy lump into our adoption account at the bank from the fundraisers we've had recently. Bringing that account to just over a thousand. 

God's providing. 

There's still a ways to go... but we see a small dent. 

In other news, we've been busy!

Saturday at the Jockey Lot

Saturday we parents held a fundraiser at the Anderson Jockey Lot (a huge flee market) and did... okay. It cost us $20 for two tables on which we put lots of treasures that have been donated to help us raise funds. We had sold many items on eBay and Facebook Marketplace but that had slowed down. We also used one end of a table to promote our current Fly Home Fundraiser. We made $99.75 plus the few prints we sold. We meet two Russian speakers - which was thrilling. Talked about ideas for more fundraising (and lots of other stuff). And had a great time together!

The gaggle that went into the GSCCCA
to get documents apostilled

Sunday we listen to our favorite preacher! Gene was invited back to preach at Lighthouse Baptist Church. He's glad he got to stretch that muscle. 
  
On Monday we loaded up the kids and took a little trip down to Atlanta and got 28 documents apostilled, (Don't know what "apostille" means? See my little glossary by clicking here.) It was way easier than I expected and only took about 20 minutes. We are waiting on one more document and our part of the dossier will be done!!!

The gaggle that stayed in the van and
slept while the other half went in to the
GSCCCA

We are studying up on Ukraine, the language, and things to do and see in Kyiv. Which mostly means I'm trying to remember how to say "Hi" and "please" and "thank you" and "where's the bathroom" in Russian - and this old dog is having a hard time with this new trick! But we'll keep studying. 

Our handy Ukraine book & a
little googling printed out

Please continue to pray for us all and the kids waiting on us to come get them. Pray, that while the world seems to be going virus crazy, that the Ukraine borders and government stay open for us and all our new friends who are adopting right now too. 

Heard another song yesterday that tugged at me. "Sovereign Over Us" by Michael W. Smith - that first verse... part of it goes

You are working in our waiting

You're sanctifying us

When beyond our understanding

You're teaching us to trust

 It's posted below.

Love ya!

Psalm 91

Just sharing to document what's going on. 
Various verses from Psalm 91 have come before me in the last week. Then yesterday at church we sang Psalm 91B (The Book of Psalms for Singing).

So I think I need to look into this Psalm a little more. Maybe memorize it (although I'm not great at memorizing - but perhaps some will stick). 

Maybe it will be a comfort to you too. 

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,

    my God, in whom I trust.”

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler

    and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his pinions,

    and under his wings you will find refuge;

    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

You will not fear the terror of the night,

    nor the arrow that flies by day,

    nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,

    ten thousand at your right hand,

    but it will not come near you.

You will only look with your eyes

    and see the recompense of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—

    the Most High, who is my refuge[b]—

    no evil shall be allowed to befall you,

    no plague come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you

    to guard you in all your ways.

On their hands they will bear you up,

    lest you strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread on the lion and the adder;

    the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;

    I will protect him, because he knows my name.

 When he calls to me, I will answer him;

    I will be with him in trouble;

    I will rescue him and honor him.

 With long life I will satisfy him

    and show him my salvation.”

I may have cried

Last week was busy in our adoption journey. But WOW! How God moved the processes along!!!

Monday we parents had our medical exam for the dossier. We are healthy and free of certain diseases. Donations took care of this expense. The doctors office was a delight to work with even though we need those forms in triplicate. It’s not uncommon to have to have these papers re-done - and that’s what we’ll be doing this week. Big THANKS to Dr. Raber and his staff at Lighthouse Family Practice.
We also have to have another paper re-done. Thanks to our sweet realtor Theresa Jordan for her help.
We’re very thankful for sweet people who exhibit God’s long-suffering patience with this paperwork.

Near the end of the week we commented about waiting on several things/papers that are totally out of
our control, like immigration approval and FBI clearance. On Friday, Dan the agency man voiced concern that the way we submitted for our FBI clearance could take forever to get back (well, he said 14 weeks - but right now that’s forever). But it only took 2 weeks!!! When we checked the mail after lunch our FBI clearance was there!!!
I was able to get those in the mail him that afternoon.

Then Saturday, while relaxing with some of the children, what should come (that could have taken 75 days but came after only one month)? Our USCIS (immigration) approval!!!!
We have approval from the United States to  “adopt 2 child/ren from Ukrine."

And that's when I may have cried.
Ava was over, she caught it all on film (or whatever you call snatching up your phone and clicking).

We were so worried about how to get the USCIS to expidite. We fretted. We made calls. We worried other people. But all our effort was for nothing. God had better plans.

Somehow, all 9 of the "already here" children were home Saturday night. So we had pizza and celebrated and watched a movie.

 No now we continue to work with our agency to finish up our parts of dossier and keep fundraising and hoping for grants and look forward expectantly to how God will continue to work in this process.