Nastya & Vika

A little about the girls...

So these are the 2 girls we are adding to our family. Nastya is 13, and Vika is 12. They are sisters and have been at the orphanage for almost 6 years. We are so grateful to have spent time with them and for the opportunity to get to know them. Due to the communication barrier, we do not know everything about them at this point, but are excited that we have a lifetime with them to learn it all. There are a few things that it didn't take words to learn about them, like their innocence, their tender hearts and their simple way of living. They were content wearing the same clothes day after day and eating the same breakfast every morning, they did not focus on the worldly things. They were happy and overwhelmed by the fact that someone wanted to pay attention to them and love on them, that is simply all they want and desire. I think that we sometimes take our love for granted, because we have always had someone, in most of our cases, lots of people who love us. These girls, like all the other kids, have never had anyone that has loved them or anybody that has "wanted" them. We have been blessed to have met a man named Curtis, who, with a team of missionaries, live about 10 minutes away from the Sunshine orphanage, where our girls are at. Curtis has generously offered to translate and deliver any letters we write to the girls. He also, has constant interaction with the kids and sees them regularly. He was there a few days ago visiting the kids and they were so excited to see him and talk about all their great memories from America. He spoke with the girls and said that they are holding up well, but there was one thing they didn't understand. When Curtis asked what it was, Nastya said, " I just don't understand why they would want me" It broke my heart to hear those words. For all her life she has never been "wanted" and now, even though she has spent time in our home and even though she knows she is going to be a part of our family, she still doesn't think she is "good enough." Curtis is such a valuable gift that God has put in our path to be there and give our girls hope, encouragement, and Godly wisdom. Please keep all the kids in your prayers that God will give them strength and make their time go quickly.

Paperwork...

So in the midst of all the emotions that go along with this, also comes a ton of paperwork. We are in the process of our home study and our interview/home review is on Monday. There is a lot of papers, documentation and preparation for this, but we feel like we are ready for it. After the home study, we will then be submitting papers to immigration, followed by a huge amount of paperwork sent to the Ukraine. The next step after that is waiting for an invitation from the Ukraine to go get the girls. We are anticipating that it will be January/February. The girls know the time frame for when we are hoping to come get them. I am so thankful that God has give me a peace that passes all understanding through this whole process. I can owe that only to him. Normally, I am stressed by little things that really don't even matter, but in this, I have not felt stressed about anything yet. Every morning I pray, " please keep giving me peace Lord" and thus far he has be faithful in doing that. We are so thankful that there have been others who went before us in this process, and for the several who are going through it with us. Aside from the busyness that the season already brings, and all the leg work to be done for the adoption, we are also finishing our basement, since space is an issue around here. We are building a bathroom, bedroom, and large closet for the girls. We stand in awe of how God is paving the way for everything in this process to happen. We are a real life example of what it says in Matthew 19:26, " With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Here are a few pictures of our time with the girls...

My Mom and her little boy, Dema.