"I don't know"

If you've talked to me lately you've likely heard me utter the words "I don't know" on repeat. 

What will happen when you get to Ukraine? I don't know.
When are you starting school back? I don't know.
How long will you be gone? I don't know. 
What will the kids at home be doing? I don't know. (lots of hanging with Grandmother)
What happens next medically with Andrii? I don't know.
Where is Amsterdam? I don't know. (But it's in the Netherlands - I had to google it). 

Thankfully some things are google-able. There are REAL answers. Other things we just have to trust God with the details. And He has proven faithful with the details.

"He who calls you is faithful; HE WILL SURELY DO IT." 1 Thessalonians 5:24

He didn't say it would be easy. But in His strength we move forward.

"fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you. I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. " Isaiah 41:10

What I do know... not much at the moment. But I know the One who knows it all. 

Love ya!

It's happening!!!

Done with radiation!!!

It's finally happening! We are finally going to Ukraine!!!
We have a date for our SDA/DAP - the appointment in Kiev where they match us with two particular children.  We've booked flights and made lodging reservations. It's all a little surreal. 
But we are so excited to finally see the kids!!!

In order to protect our family's privacy our blog will not be updated with travel information until we get home. 
If your our friend on Facebook you may ask to join our secret Becoming Twelve Facebook group to follow our journey. We just ask that nothing posted there is shared publicly. 

In other news:

We have another teen driver. Our Lora passed her written exam on her first try. However, driving on the road - not just in the yard, proved more difficult than she expected. But practice makes better. 

We will wrap up our CHANGE DRIVE soon - I will post here about that.

Donations may still be made to our matching grant with Promise686 (which is doing very well), or to ABBA Fund, directly to our agency, or to us. Links and addresses below. 

Facetiming siblings

Promise686 grant 
virtually here 
or via snail mail by noting for the 342Brown Family
Promise686
19 Holcomb Bridge Rd. 
Norcross, GA  30071

ABBA Fund
virtually here
via snail mail by noting for the HEBrown Family
ABBA Fund
PO BOX 868049 
Plano, TX 75086-8049

Our Agency:
Family Connections, Inc.
Note: to the Harold Brown family
P.O. Box 5555
Cortland New York 13045

Our mailing address:
The Brown Family
PO Box 854
Franklin Springs, GA 30639

Joy Comes

Picked up my phone to see some wonderful news - a dear family, new friends, the ones adopting our hope-for-kids dear friend, got the call today to come over!!! They have to leave next week!!!
I’m so excited for them!!! REJOICING! 
(AND They were just ahead of us in the process and didn’t expedite, so... any minute now...)

But then I saw another message, a heart breaking message. Other dear friends, long time friends, who had hoped to adopt a particular little baby girl, had the door closed on bringing that baby home today. 
I’m mourning for them. Weeping. 

But we can still rejoice! That baby and her family (bio and hopeful) have been lifted before the throne of our Lord by a great group of believers. Daily. 
He hears. And just because this door closed, their home and hearts are still open. Longing. 

Oh what a torrent of emotions! 

That’s adoption.