Peace and Rest at HOME

Thursday for us was at least 28 hours LONG. 

And all of it travel. 

I've had maybe five and half hours of sleep in my own bed. But I was compelled to get up and go see all the faces in all the beds in the house. Because all OUR KIDS are where they belong. 

As I opened each bedroom door to tiptoe in and gaze at each precious face I was also compelled to find that verse, "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You..." and read that passage. Which I found amusing because in all our exhaustion from our travels, we did feel joy at reuniting with our home folks (and beds) but we didn't exactly feel peace or "stayed on You."  We felt pretty irritated.

I made coffee, fed the critters, and settled into my comfy chair (wow is american furniture comfortable!) and found the verse (I had to look it up) (emphasis added):

Isaiah 26:3

You keep him in perfect peace 

whose mind is stayed on You, 

because he trust in You.

Then I got to Isaiah 26:12 and it jumped off the page and hit me in the heart. 

O Lord, You will ordain peace for us, 

for You have indeed done for us all our works. 

If you've followed along you may remember that a verse that keeps coming back to me (for years) is 1 Thessalonians 5:24 - but lets back up to verse 23

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (24) He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it. 

Look what God has done - now to have a day (or weekend) of peace and rest!

And what confirmation of how trustworthy and faithful He is! Even in the hard and crazy. 

And the story isn't over...

I'll work soon on updating this little blog on all the happenings that brought us home - and there will be pictures! Stay tuned.

Love ya!

The Greatest Help

I was lamenting the lack of sharing of our current and recent fundraisers. Thankfully, I was just complaining privately to myself. I quickly had a talk with me.

I reminded my complaining self of a documentary we (Gene and I, not the royal we) had the opportunity to see called Blind Eyes Opened. It tells the hard truth about sex trafficking in America. Not a family flick, but could be watched by middle schoolers as they are a much targeted group. Certainly a topic of safety that parents should be discussing at age appropriate levels.

At the end of the showing they had gathered these women who had been featured in the film, all recovering and experiencing the hope and healing found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
They discussed their current lives and the ministries they were involved with. Then were asked,  “How can people help?”

Then we heard the BEST answer ever!!!
“You can do something as little as give, or as much as pray."

As a ministry leader and hopeful adoptive mama, I LOVE that answer.

I know many who are praying. And I know God is hearing and answering those prayers. He has proven it again and again over this past year of trying. And I have no doubt He will continue.
His plans are so much greater!

While I was typing out these thoughts who should arrive but the UPS man! 

And guess what arrived!!! 

Our Fly Home Fundraiser prints (they are gorgeous!)  AND our silicone bracelets from the 12-12-12-12 for World Cancer Day fundraiser (they aren’t exactly what I expected, but they’ll do).

What an encouragement!!!  

The birds and the bracelets are still available- just click on the linky-word things  up there to find out more or see below.

God is good!

Drop me a comment below and tell me how God has been good to you this week! 



To skip the reading of other blog post and get to business:
For Fly Away Home Bird Prints on antique hymn pages by Cady Driver see our order form by clicking here. 
For a #becoming12 brain and children's cancer awareness silicone bracelet give via PayPal to  PayPal.me/edbrown77 - note "for adoption" and your mailing address; or to make a tax deductible gift through the Abba Fund click here.

So now what?

Since the "big facebook fundraiser" in December I've had several people ask if we can just go get the kids now, why aren't we over there already, what are we waiting for? So I thought we should clarify a few things (plus a few pictures at the bottom of what we were doing 1 year ago today).

First, a $5000 fundraiser is HUGE and so very helpful, and we are so grateful to all who gave to meet that goal so quickly! The total expected cost of the adoption is about $47,000. With what we've raised (and paid out so far) we still have a long way to go.  
So... look for upcoming fundraisers - we've got ideas and willing to hear any others and always happy for helpers! Or give here or here or directly to our agency here - be sure to specify on each that it is for the HE Brown family adoption.

Second, we have the added expense of in-country medical bills. Part of that $5000 is for that. And we aren't counting our eggs till they are in the basket. Facebook takes about a month-ish to pay out. And we aren't sure how it will be split. 

Third, there's LOTS of red tape. And all the tape has fees attached.

So here are the next steps. That red tape. Our prayer is for favor with government officials and speed. (This next part is pretty boring... and clear as mud. Sorry. You can totally stop reading now and do something fun.)

Homestudy Agency Approval
Now that the homestudy is finished our adoption agency, working with our homestudy provider and a facilitator in Ukraine, attempt to make it as near perfect as they can. Wording matters.  This normally takes 4 weeks - but they know the situation and are working to make it happen somewhat faster (however the Christmas holidays slow things down). 

USCIS
Next we get the homestudy and some other official things and send it all to US immigration (INS/USCIS) to get approval to make two Ukrainians American citizens. We, all adults in the home, will have to get FBI fingerprinting done at an FBI office. USCIS approval is averaging about an 8 week wait. We hope that our case will miraculously move FAST - but we've got the down-low on moving this along too. 

Dossier
Then we compile a dossier (a pile of all the things plus some). This will require us to update things like our medical evaluations and a few other things. This is then gone over with a fine tooth comb, we have it all apostilled (which is fancier and more official than having them notarized) then send the whole shebang to Ukraine.

SDA
Ukraine facilitators have the dossier translated and submitted to those who decide to accept or deny us or ask for more information (though I can't imagine what we haven't divulged already). "They" decide if they want to let us have their young citizens and invite us to come to an appointment (SDA) to "pick out" some children. At this point we travel. (Ukraine is really a "blind adoption state" which means there's a slim chance we won't get them because you can't pick them til this appointment - though normally you get who you want. That's also why I must be careful to say publicly "hope to adopt them" rather than "will adopt them"). This timing will depend much on Ukraine holidays and the whim of whoever receives our dossier. But facilitators are in country to help the process along.

Court and Custody
Then they (Ukraine) set a court date (often at minimum 2 week after SDA), then after court and the release of the decree you wait 30 days to take custody. However, because of the situation we can ask for waivers so that we may possibly take custody immediately.

Coming Home
Once in our custody we assume all legal and medical in country and have to take the kids to medical and VISA appointments with the US embassy to get to bring them home. It may take several days or several weeks before we can come home. 

Fees 
And each step has fees. Lots of fees. And those fees and travel expenses are the cost of the adoption.
I've said before and I'm sure I'll keep saying it because I continue to be amazed, though the financial expense is overwhelming to our finite minds God is providing for each step. We currently have just enough for the USCIS and FBI set aside and see the funds for the parts slowing gathering. 
We felt very strongly at the beginning of this process to not use loans but try our best to fund raise and see what God would do through His people (and a few who don't claim Him but love what we are doing and feel lead to give). HE gets all the glory! 

Come and see what God has done:

he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.

Psalm 66:5

We love talking about our children, those here and those to come... please feel free to comment any questions you might have, we'll try our best to answer them. Plus it gives us something to do while we wait. 

Love ya!

P.S.
This day last year was a fun adventure to Babyland General Hospital, Home of the Cabbage Patch Kids - which was really hard to translate. But the magic of seeing mother cabbage "give birth" explained everything. (we were missing Elijah). 

Desire

If desire were dollars or wings we'd be in Ukraine.

We desperately need prayer. Support - of all kinds.

Last week we found out that "our boy" had a brain tumor. Today we have been told that he has been in the children's hospital for 4 days, today he was officially diagnosed with "stage four malignant brain tumor with metastasis in the spinal cord." He has begun chemo. They believe it is inoperable.

We don't even understand all those words. We are researching each one. We have more questions than we can give voice to.

Oh to be by his bedside, holding his hand.... calling him "mine."

We cannot play the "what if?" game.
Only the "right now."
And right now... he should have a Mama and Daddy and family with him, comforting him, encouraging him...

And "our girl"... what must she be thinking? She's not as fluent in English as he is and communication is limited. She needs a Mama and Daddy and family with her, lots of hugs, encouragement, comfort, understanding....

They need love. And we want so badly to lavish them with so much love...

We are so close. We have "official" people there now advocating for him. For them. For us.

Funding continues to be a seemingly insurmountable hurdle. But God....

He who has call you is faithful, 
HE WILL SURELY DO IT.

1 Thessalonians 5:24

In the spirit of total transparency, thus far we have paid in over $5000 in adoption fees, the total estimated expenses is at least $43,000. So we just need $38,000 more (and we laugh and pray and fund raise and strategize and pray and trust God who loves them even more - because that number seems ridiculous - and more than many people make in a year).

So we ask, HELP! Help us go get them quickly!

We've got fundraisers in the works. See this post. 
We've got a tax deductible place to give through the Abba Fund.
We've got direct giving via PayPal.
We are preparing for change drives in churches and groups and available to speak anytime in person or online.
We've got ideas and need help getting it all to work.

Update: The agency we hosted through is hosting a fundraiser and it’s amazing! See it here.

Thoughts swirl and hearts hurt.

Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; 
maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.

Psalm 82:3

As I'm writing our younger 4 children came in just now and offered to give up any Christmas presents - we just all want them HOME. Help us bring them home. Help us call them son and daughter.

This is the picture of those beautiful children we hosted. Those children we hope to make our own.
When we told them we wanted to adopt them, he said, "Both? or just her?"
"Both child. We want you both."

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name, you are mine.

Isaiah 43:1

All the things I haven't said

When we are waiting on something good it seems to take forever!

But when we have something to do (or that we should be doing) the time flies by!

Blogging will be an easy way to keep everyone up to date. (If you actually do it).

I'll be good at blogging. (Nope - sorry).

Here's the possibly lengthy catch-you-up post. (not totally in chronological order).

Since my last post was about a patriotic quilt (seriously thought I'd updated LOTS since then), I'll start with:

The quilt sold via eBay. But not for as much as we had hoped. We are very grateful to Aunt Carolyn for her donation of the beautiful quilt and to the eBay-er who was delighted to use it in redecorating.

We have since been posting lots of little things on eBay (member erbr_2337) to help raise funds and in the process have gotten to know our sweet postal worker better. They are the most helpful people for shipping anything as cheaply inexpensively as possible. And they are just super sweet.

Photos and college by Jacob

We did have one more yard sale that had shoppers waiting on us when we arrived at the crack of dawn. The unsold treasures lived in the basement until I couldn't stand it anymore and "organized." Some things went on Facebook Marketplace, some on eBay, some to the thrift store. (And, for the sake of total honesty, a few treasures we are using).

Currently, there's a box in the dining room and two in the basement of posted and waiting to be posted items. I got my house back and an extra job. 

A sweet friend, Elena, did a Tupperware fundraiser. It was delicious. 

Tomorrow we are having a Krispy Kreme sale before (and possible after) church. 

100 dozen doughnuts = 1200 doughnuts 

Pray for hungry folks with $7 and a sweet tooth to drive by.

We did this last year to help raise funds for hosting fees and more than doubled our investment. So all those eBay sales have been invested in doughnuts. 

Of course we still take donations any time in person, snail mail (message us for the address), via PayPal, or for tax deductible gifts through the Abba Fund.

Fundraising is FUN. But exhausting. And I'm running out of creative ideas. Matter of fact, I'm not feeling very creative at all. In any area. 

But we have been encouraged this month. We can finally see the light at the end of this homestudy tunnel. We had been waiting (for over 6 months) for one piece of paper, a certain background check, to be sent to our homestudy agency. They had requested it several times. Finally, after several phone calls it arrived. So now we make sure all our boxes are checked and get our original documents together and wait again. 

Fall Birthday People

Next steps (hopefully), apostillizing the documents (they get stamped as "fo'real" legal papers), USA approval, and extreme grant writing. (Plus holidays).

In more personal news:

Over half the family had birthdays - Jorja, Autumn, Gene, Erin, Jacob, and Elijah. 

And the biggest news (drum roll) after a blur of preparations and bridal showers, 

Ava and Stephen tied the knot! 

It was beautiful. They are beautiful. 

The only thing we wish was different (okay, they only big thing) was that the two new children could have already been here. 

Here is a video of just a few of the pictures from the wedding events:

So that's the short version of the last some-odd months. 

Today it has been one year, one month and ten days since we first opened out hearts and homes to two wonderful, beautiful, smart, sweet, funny, energetic young teens. Orphans who want a family.

Pray things hurry along from here and provision is made for all expenses with the least amount of stress. 

Pray for Gene and I. God is refining us, our household, our finances, and our marriage. 

And pray for our two "heart children" who are also waiting - they are ready to come home! Pray God would protect them and redeem this time and place people in their lives to shine His love to them. 

Love ya!

"Is anything to hard for the Lord?" 

Genesis 18:14a

 

I'm out of control

How many times have I said to myself just in the past few days, “It’s all in God’s perfect timing. He has all the details in order. You are NOT in control”?

A LOT!

We are still waiting on the septic to be fixed so we can pass that portion of the homestudy.

I am not in control of that man who dig’s holes and lays pipes’ schedule.

I must get some fingerprinting redone.

I am not in control of how any of that works.

The Young Love Birds

Ava’s medical report was totally messed up at the doctor’s office.  

I am not in control of those people and their lack of understanding.

We are in full-blow wedding planning crazy! And the budget is…. There isn’t one. 
It’s a week by week adventure.

That is beyond my control. We only have so much.  We can only plan and pay for what we are able to week by week.

What am I in control of?

My attitude. I can enjoy the ever-changing journey. I can decide this is an exciting adventure and love every minute (it’s only a season).

I can be patient. I can treat people with kindness (even when they make me wait more).

I can be a good steward of all we are given. I can keep moving forward (with adoption fundraising, and paper collecting, and wedding planning).

I can do my best at what I can and not sweat the rest.

I can KISS it all (Keep It Simple Stupid).

I can choose each day (multiple times) to trust God’s perfect plan. (this one is the most important).

I can take care of me. Then I can take care of others (and all the rest). I can stop in the middle of all the crazy and give myself a pedicure or read a book or write a blog post (your welcome) or take a nap (or all these as needed).

I can try to control me and my words and actions.

I’m out of control. But not really.

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” 

2 Peter 3:9

Have patience, have patience

Don't be in such a hurry

When you get impatient, you only start to worry

Remember, remember that God is patient, too

And think of all the times when others have to wait for you

~ from the PATIENCE Song (Herbert the Snail)

Come Back Soon(er)

Today all this legal stuff is just taking too long! 

I’m feeling impatient. I want to rush things but it’s out of my control. (And to fair, we are still just in the overly detailed dragged-out beginning phase – so this is totally a heart issue – keeping it real).

It’s been four and a half months since we hugged them good-bye. (Seem longer). We didn’t know what to do with ourselves. God distracted us with a problem with the van (less serious than the current van problem).

I dreamed again last night that we were where they are and I could hug them, touch their faces, tell them that I love them and that we really are trying hard to get there and bring them home.

Oh, to bring them home!

Got up and did my morning routine. Bathroom, coffee, devotions (about parenting), emails, Facebook (hit the brakes) - right near the top of my feed someone had shared a beautiful older child adoption story (linked here). Now I’m a teary-eyed mess.

Reminded again that God is in control. We may not understand His plan. We may get impatient with His timing and provision. But it is ALWAYS PERFECT.

He loves them.

We just trust and press forward with the next task at hand. All for His glory.

They’ll be here soon.    

"This God—His way is perfect; 

    the word of the Lord proves true;

    He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him."

Psalm 18:30

PS - It's so much the little things that impress me and keep me amused. Pretty rocks, little flowers, baby toes....wanna boost my ego a little? Subscribe to this blog - we "installed" a gadget for that near the top of the sidebar. Or just comment occasionally. Tell us your praying, give us some wise word, or tell us we're crazy... all are acceptable. 

Prayer Request

We are thankful for our good health, and remember how the Lord has lead, guarded, provided for, and loved us all these years. Please join us in praying for the following details.

First, as part of our home study we must have a letter that our septic system is in good working order. It has been examined and found lacking. According to our very nice fella from the health department, a family half our size shouldn’t be able to flush the toilet. Yet here we are… a year and a half of flushing and showers and laundry and dishes… but he can’t give us that letter. But he wants to help us resolve this easily. 

He asked that we first check for leaks.

Did you know that your toilets could be slowly leaking from the tank into the bowl without you knowing it? And that that slow leak adds constant pressure to your septic? And you can test it with red kool-aid?

New information for us too. Turns out all our toilets needed new flappers.

Worse case now is we will need to add some more drain field. Messy costly job.

Next, this weekend our big giant van, that is the Mama’s main vehicle, started making really weird whiny noises and being a jerk. (It jerks, especially in reverse). We’ve got a couple of theories about what could be wrong.

Lastly, (which seems minor compared with those first two) that oldest tall child, is the only one who hasn’t gotten her medical exam done. Medical reports are also needed for everyone in the family. The older two girls aged out of the pediatrician’s office and just hadn’t gotten a new doctor yet. They both visited a local office to get their records transferred and become new patients. One got in, one’s records never showed up. The office has resent the request (over a week ago) and we continue to wait.

We praise the Lord that all of our medical exams were covered by our insurance as our yearly check-ups.

We are at peace as we trust God has all things in His control and will provide for each need. Pray we see soon how those first two request will be provided for and that any oversight on that last one is cleared up.

We’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to comment on any of our post. We know most of this blog now is the nitty-gritting, somewhat boring details. But hang on the really exciting stuff will come as we continue to press forward.